


Save the Date

by omeletshizu



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, BUT a majority of it is happy and fluffy so theres that, Bilingual Lance (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), Deathdateau, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Fluff, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Lance (Voltron) is a Dork, Lance's family - Freeform, Langst, M/M, Okaaay people should know what they're in for so im adding tags, Other, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, YOLO, au where people know when they die, deathdate, i just hate spoilers, keith has a potty mouth, keith has a soft side, klance, klangst, some drinking, sorry 'bout that, this is cute don't worry, this is gonna be sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-03-17 07:19:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 40,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13654188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omeletshizu/pseuds/omeletshizu
Summary: In a world where everyone who is born is then branded with the day they will die, lance feels unbelievably blessed to be born knowing he has a full life ahead of him with bright opportunities.But Keith doesn't share the same happy-go-lucky sentiment, and knowing the two could never be together happily, they avoid each other.But you can't stop desire.---Death date au where lance just wants to be happy and Keith just wants to be alone





	1. An Eighty Two is a Solid B

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!!! If anyone is reading "pots pans and sharpie smiles" don't worry! I'm still updating! But I liked this idea and went for it. Enjoy!!! ❤❤❤

        When a baby is born, the parents are either jubilant with the gift of a child with a long life, accepting of a child with an average lifespan, or absolutely devastated.

Often, there is no in between.

Lance's parents were among those bursting with joy when the little babe was brought out with a fresh tattoo, dating roughy eighty years into what would be his life. The whole hospital waiting room was filled with cousins and uncles and grandparents awaiting eagerly for him and they were not let down.

It wasn't much of a surprise though, for the McClains had extraordinary luck with their children and few had life spans shorter than fifty or sixty.

They celebrated next to the weary mother and father the whole evening, and as he grew up they never stopped telling Lance how proud they were of him for something he had no control over.

It wasn't a choice that a baby could make, and the only day a death date changed was if the tattoo specialist wrote the number wrong, and even that never happened.

All in all, lance felt rather blessed.

He grew up in a large family with much freedom because they never feared him accidentally dying.

They were accepting of him no matter what he wanted to do with his life, because after all the only important thing was that it was long.

His family supported him when he came out as bi.

His family supported him when he applied to the Garrison tech college in another state.

His family supported him when he packed his bags in order to leave, because... They knew he would come back.

His siblings, the youngest in particular, weren't accepting that so easily though.

"Hermano, why are you leaving?" Lances little brother Alex bounced unhappily on the bed, randomly chucking something from lances suitcase across the room in an apparent desperation to make the packing process longer.

Lance sighed as he picked up the second thrown wadded up pair of socks and placed it back in his bags. "Porque es una buena escuela, hermanito bonito."

"You mean muy guapo."

"Hermanito bonito!" Lance laughed and tugged the little five year old off the bed, holding him in his arms "I'll miss you, but I'll be back soon."

"Call, ok?"

"Por supuesto."

When Alex was born his parents weren't as overjoyed as they were with him and his older sister (who had an impressive ninety three years) but his fifty nine was a wonderful number to most.

The boy struggled out of lances warm arms and bounded over to his dresser, pulling out a long scarf. It was the share scarf (as lance had dubbed it) that Alex and lance would wrap around each others necks as the older boy held him close in the winters. It wasn't a garment worn alone.

"Here." Alex vaguely held the scarf out in lances direction.

"Chiquito? Por qué?" Lance took hold of the scarf and glanced at the boy quizzically.

"Because.. Just wear it there. Because if you wear it then you can feel like we're there together."

Lance could feel his his head exploding from the cuteness.

"ADORABLE! ALEX MI NIÑO BONITO. TU ES MI POLLO "

"IM YOUR WHAT??"

"OH MY GOD PLEASE STOP WITH THE SPANGLISH I’M TRYING TO LEARN FRENCH" he could hear the middle sister banging on the thin wall dissecting her room from Alex's.

the two brothers stood still for a moment before both melting into each other into endless giggles.

"Lance, you really must be going." He heard his mother knock lightly on the door before opening it slowly, a warm and slow smile spreading across her face. "Aw, you boys are my life. Now hurry to the car my boy, your cousin is very nice to be driving you all the way there so don't keep him waiting!"

"Ok mama! I'll just shove this-" lance grunted as he pushed another jacket into a bag "ok. Off to the Garrison!"

"Love you lance!!" His sister grace shouted from her room again.

"Lance is leaving now???" His other brother burst out as he ran up to their mama's side.

More shouts were coming from downstairs, a mixture of "lance" and "love"s. the house was evolving into a mess of screeches and childish hollers across rooms and walls.

It was a famous McClain farewell.

"Lance don't go!" Alex wailed above it all.

Lance just let himself be embraced by the love of his family.

His cousin interrupted it all as he crashed into the room past mama.

"Lance!!! Lets go!"

"Right!"

And they both gathered the bags and ran to his cousins car past the shouts and embraces of the whole family.

Lance couldn't bring himself to be too sad, he was off to a place with great opportunities.

He was off to Arizona.

________

Arizona turned out to be more so filled with heat waves than opportunity thus far. And sure, lance tanned more than he ever could burn but after living in the bitter coolness of san francisco for the first half of his life and then further down the soggy coast in California for the second half, he was very much not expecting his body to be physically weighed down by the oppressive heat of this new state.

"Mierda." Lance huffed "I can't move my limbs, Matteo. What am I supposed to do??"

"Haha! You're going to a tech school, they'll have air conditioning you weenie."

"The problem is getting there." Lance was suddenly so very thankful that he took such a liking to booty shorts and tanks with plunging necklines.

The sandals were a wonderful thing he packed as well.

"Ok, well you'll have to because I need to head all the way back to the Bay Area." Matteo gave him a smile full of reassurance "you're a really friendly person, kid. You'll make lots of friends. Don't let people take advantage of your naiveté and gullibility."

"I'm not gullible!!" Lance guffawed, trying to pull his shirt off of his skin a little. Matteo pulled the trunk lever and motioned for lance to get his luggage.

"Uh huh, just don't let it hurt you ok? Now go kick some butt and please get out of my car." Matteo smirked.

"Fine!" And lance struggled out of the seat and to the trunk.

He struggled with getting his numerous bags out for a good four minutes before a figure behind him spoke up softly but kindly.

"Do you need some help?"

Lance swiveled around and was greeted with a tall and kindly young adult about his age with a yellow t-shirt a little soaked with the dampness of sweat. Lance melted with relief.

"Oh god. Yes. Please."

The guy laughed pleasantly. "Good, I wasn't going to leave you to this alone in this weather." He lumbered over with surprisingly quiet footfalls and picked up a suitcase easily with one arm. He then proceeded to catch another large bag with the other. the bulk of his arm muscle tensed attractively. Lance gawked at the muscularly-gifted man.

"I'm hunk. It's nice to meet you!" Hunk grinned "you'll like it at this nerd school. I do already."

"Oh, are you a freshman?" Lance grabbed the last bag from the trunk and set it on the pavement before slamming the lid down. Before hunk could answer he yelled out across the car, "THANK YOU OODLES FOR YOUR HELP ASS."

"YOUR WELCOME FOR DRIVING YOU ACROSS AMERICA DOUCHE." Matteo yells back from the rolled down front window.

"IT WAS ONE STATE BUT THANK YOU"

"YOU'RE WELCOME." And then Matteo slammed on the gas and the car sped away.

"Nice guy." Hunk chuckled.

"Ah, he warms up to people in his own way." Lance returns the laugh in kind, hauling the bags onto the sidewalk. Hunk is still carrying the two heaviest on his two arms without looking that weighed down at all. Lance feels a bit envious of his brute strength and silently contemplated a gym visit. He then remembered he was in sweltering Arizona at the peak of summer and promptly forgot that idea.

"Oh and yeah, I'm a freshman. I arrived yesterday. What dorm are you in?" Hunk walked over to the front door slowly, pausing every few steps to wait for lance to catch up with the other bags.

"Uhhhh the... L building..?? In room forty seven." Lance scrunched his eyebrows together. "I don't know where anything is though."

"Are you kidding??" Hunk half shouted. "We're roommates!"

"Oh wow!" Lances face split into a wide smile. "That makes it easier!"

"Oh yeah! You'll definitely love this place now! Our room has a wonderful view of the dorm gardens and I'm cooking tonight ok?? What do you like?" Hunk rambled with renewed and youthful energy.

They laughed and jested and chatted their whole way to the dorm and eventually forgot the heat existed.

"Also our neighbors are really awesome." Hunk continued When they were almost to their room. "There's this kid name Pidge right across the hall and they're super nice! Last night we decided to chill together since they're roommate also didn't show up last night. The three of us should all eat dinner. You said you like-"

But hunk was promptly interrupted with a loud thud muffled shouts.

"That sounds like its from our hall." Hunk panics a little.

"Really? Is there a fight?" Lance walks a bit faster to keep up with hunks worried running.

"I DON'T WANT IT."

Both hunk and lance stopped dead in their tracks.

In the hallway right in front of room forty seven was what lance assumed was a supervisor or dorm manager, a short girly looking boy with fluffy short hair and glasses, and last but not least of all, the boy shouting. He looked positively riled. His black hair, longer in the back and swooping into attractive bangs that framed almond shaped dark eyes (eyes that were burning with something akin to fury) was standing on end. His black shirt and black pants looked horribly unsuited for Arizona but suited his figure. His gloved hands were balled into angry fists and he was hunched over a little.

"I thought I TOLD this stupid school that I'm getting a singular dorm." He seethed.

"Smartass you aren't that special." The other boy with glasses looked more like he was pouting than angry.

"Yeah well I have a good enough reason. I don't even want to go to this shit scho-"

"You're on school property in front of the dorm head please mind your language." The older man spoke up. "Also, Pidge is right. You will not be receiving special treatment even if you were forced to come here. Now settle into your room and show up for classes Monday."

The man then strutted off, leaving Lance, Hunk, Pidge (lance assumed), and the brooding young man to awkwardly and idly stand there in silence.

"Well, special snowflake, lets get you settled huh." Pidge spoke up first.

"Fuck this."

And the boy was gone in his own dark storm, disappearing from the hall just as the dorm head did.

The silence ensued again.

Lance broke it first this time.

"Uhhhh wow." Lance coughed "now that was one friendly guy if I've ever met one."

Pidge broke out laughing "hahaha! That's Keith. My charming roommate."

"No way!" Hunk exclaimed "oh I'm sorry Pidge."

"No sweat, it happens. But it seems you found yourself a new friend." They adjust their glasses.

"Oh! This is my roommate, Lance."

"Lucky!!" Pidge pouted "can we switch please?"

"Nope. I'm not adverse to sharing though." Hunk stuck a tongue out. "We gotta move his stuff in though. Coming back for dinner?"

"Heck yeah!" Pidge hollered "more hunk food sign me up!"

"Oh pidge, why don't you come over now?" Lance smiled in a friendly manner at the shorter person

"Hunk what the hell, you're not allowed to have a friendly roommate when the first thing mine said to me was 'hell no'"

The three cracked up at that, lance flattered a bit. But anyone else would be saintly compared to that he supposed.

"And wow! An eighty two." Pidge glanced at lances end date tattoo and nodded approvingly. "That's impressive."

Lance always thought it was funny how people remarked upon other's end dates as if it were tests scored out of a hundred. It wasn't something he personally altered, but it was still a social achievement.

"Nice! I'm a seventy seven." Hunk held his wrist up.

"Ninety." Pidge smirked.

"Smart nerds always live the longest."

The three smiled at each other as they moved to lances and hunks dorm.

"So lance ordered homemade pizza."

The other two whooped and the evening went on jovially.

Lance never stopped feeling uncomfortable with the fact that most friendships always started with comparing how long the relationship would last till one of them died.

But death was just part of society at that point.

And that was ok.


	2. Making a New Friend is Hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance wants to make new friends and perhaps try some new things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof! heres the next chapter! already working on the one after <3 I hope you enjoy this! Today the weather was very very cold where I live so I bundled up a bit and wrote my heart out.

Most marriages were arranged based on how long the couples life span was. When people knew how long they'd be together or how long they'd have to be apart in the end, it set a tone of sobriety to any relationship.

But it also ended a lot of them.

And people with low end dates ended up single most times.

They'd often die alone, because people ditched them thinking there wasn't a point in befriending or marrying someone so close to a grave.

Lance, being a hopeless romantic, was eternally grateful for the fact that he had a pretty decent shot at finding someone. Rarely anyone shied away from people above eighty.

He spent the night thinking of that, lying stuffed full of pizza. Pidge somehow ended up in his lap snoring away and hunks arm was under his head. It was a pure cuddle pile that filled lance to the brim with fuzzy wuzzies, but he also couldn't help but feel disturbed by the thought of end dates. What if he truly ended up alone? Even in his empty late years?

He was glad these two new friends had such long spans.

Perhaps they'd stay with him.

 

The next morning his solemness was gone and was instead replaced with pure excitement.

"Classes are tomorrow!" Lance exclaimed as he rifled through his bags and pulled out numerous pair of shorts and sleek fitting pants. He decided shorts were his best bet if Monday was anything like the day he arrived.

"And orientation is today, I'm excited too." Hunk was bouncing on his heels "should we be this excited? It's school. This is just a fancier high school."

"Don't ruin it please I'm ecstatic." Lance was swooning "I can't even tell you how excited I am for the tech classes. Common Ed? Gross. Computer physics? I'm melting, help."

Pidge burst through the door, having left to get dressed after staying the night. They also looked radiant, eyes shining under the round glasses.

"Guess who's valedictorian of the freshman, bros?"

"You?" Hunk grinned

"ME."

"Ooooh a speech! I'll film it, I'm so proud." Lance fake wept. "Oh guys this is so cool, what if I meet my soulmate there?"

"At the.. Orientation?" Pidge was chortling.

Hunk snorted into his orange juice. "Good look with that" he laughed as he wiped away the remnants from his face.

"Also Pidge did that guy come back?" Hunk turned to Pidge again, once again sipping from his glass.

"Yeah, actually I think he slept there but he was gone when I came back this morning. His bed was all rumpled up. Also- what's really weird is that he has no belongings. Like he's using the school issued stuff and that's it. Not even a familiar toothbrush. He just came in empty handed." Pidge took off their glasses and cleaned them silently "it's almost like he's a short spanner."

A short spanner. Lance shuddered at the thought of knowing your date was coming close when you were so young.

"No, that's not possible!" Hunk waved his hand a little "this college requires a lot of time and effort or money. Like I said, people who come to this school come because they know they have the time to pursue what they want."

"That's true, short spanners don't even go to college usually." Pidge nodded in solemn agreement "maybe he's just bitter because he's gonna live TOO long, that happens sometimes."

“Like you?” hunk snickered.

“Hey! The world needs more Pidge, I’m a blessing.”

Lance felt like the mood sorely needed a change if subject.

"Oooor maybe it's about something else entirely!! Either way, maybe we can find him at the orientation and try to be buddies, you got a speech planned Pidge?"

"Only the best!"

“I don’t doubt it” Hunk said “now who wants to eat some of this breakfast with me?”

Hunk had spoiled the two of them with a beautiful display of french toast, bacon, eggs, and sparkling glasses of orange juice. Pidge was practically drooling.

“When did you have time for any of this it’s like, seven am.” Lance moaned as he swung into his seat.

“Even if he uses black magic to cook I’ll never look a gift horse in the mouth” Pidge bit into their first bite. “ _ Magnificent. _ I’ll never miss home cooking at this point.”

The meal passed quickly between ravenous bites and soon lance was swinging dishes into the washer and scrambling to get his bag together.

“Don’t bring a bag, it’s just an orientation.” Pidge remarked as they swigged the last bit of orange juice. 

“Oh, this is just stuff like bandaids and a sketchbook and stuff.” Lance smiled “I like having some essentials around.”

“A sketchbook?” Hunk perked up “you draw?”

“More like I jot down notes sometimes” Lance admitted sheepishly “I also kinda love having blanks books around. It feels nice to see empty sketch pads and notebooks..”

“Empty?” Pidge looked confused. “Why don’t you fill them?”

“I don’t know” He sighed as they shut the dorm room behind them and started walking on their route to the auditorium. “It just makes me-”

Lance was used to being interrupted. He lived in a home with an abundance of little ones who had more to say than he did. When you had a long life span people also paid a little bit less attention to what you thought because you were going to be around  _ so much longer  _ to share it.

Didn’t make it less irritating.

Lance felt like his life would end up just being filled with him being repeatedly interrupted at this point when the boy from before slammed his and Pidge’s door from across the hall and glowered at them. 

The air felt stiff between the small frozen group and the irritated emo boy. 

“You staying over there?” He bit out in Pidge’s direction. 

“Uh, no dude. My stuff is in our dorm.” They scrambled to respond.

“Then get it.” 

“No, Pidge will not.” Hunk spoke up imperiously. 

Hunk was by far the tallest in the group and he was built like a  _ very  _ muscular tank. Keith didn’t cower but he didn’t move his glare over to the taller man. 

In fact all he did was turn tail and stomp his way past them while muttering a small “Well you should.” 

The group stared in shock at each other.

“Try and be buddies, huh..?” Hunk muttered amusedly.

“I thought we could reform him!!” Lance pouted “I didn’t expect him to  _ continue  _ to be a jerk.”

“That’s what jerks tend to do.” Pidge was giggling a little. “At least he’s not your roommate.”

“I don’t know, he sounds like a fun date.” Lance joked.

“Then why don’t you take him, lance?” Pidge whined “Let me have the chef please.”

“No way, I need those cinnamon rolls I was promised!”

“Is this all I’m good for?”

“You also can carry lots of stuff.” Lance winked “you’ll make a great husband.”  

The auditorium ended up being another block away in, just as expected, scalding hot temperatures. At seven forty am. Lance wasn’t sure if he could survive in Arizona.

The three were almost dragging themselves up the numerous stairs to the auditorium when Lance spotted Keith again. He was brooding silently at the entrance, in the same garb as yesterday as he waited for the crowd to die down and let him in.

“Wait here guys” lanced panted with a sudden burst of enthusiasm. 

“Oh god you’re talking to him?” Pidge groaned “why in hot hell?”

“Maybe I can get him to calm his toosh.” Lance murmured back to them. 

“You probably just think he’s cute.” Hunk commented snidely.

Lance couldn’t deny or confirm that statement so he just ignored it and strode over to Keith in what he hoped were confident looking steps (and totally not like he was wilting slowly from the heat, because he was).

“Keith?” He tapped the man’s shoulder and pulled back a little frightened when the other jerked his body away from lance with a snarl. 

“ _ what _ ?”

_ Well. this could be going better already. _

“Uh, calm it hothead?” He chuckled amiably “just wanted to say hi.”

“Hi? After I shouted at you and your little friends?” Keith grimaced a little “leave me alone.”

“Well, I’m glad you recognize that you were rude.” Lance nodded to himself a little “but lets chill and just restart ok? I’m lance and that’s-”

Keith let out a low and cruel chortle “you think.” He stepped forward into Lance’s bubble and Lance stumbled back “that I” Another step. Lance was almost to the top stair and was sweating even more “even fucking care, pretty boy?” 

Lance smiled nervously.

“Yes?”

“Well then fuck off” 

But before keith could stalk off to god knows where they were herded in by a sudden crowd behind them and corralled into seat. Right next to each other. 

And that’s where they’d stay for another two hours or so.

After that little speech on Keith’s behalf that was a lot bit more than awkward.

At least lance was called pretty.

“So I guess we gotta be best buddies huh?” Lance let a wide grin overtake his face. “Once again I’m Lance, let’s get along.”

Keith just ignored him.

“Ok so Arizona is super hot isn’t it? I’m dying here already, I need some rain! I assumed that-”

Lance was starting to do his usual ramble when keith whipped around and  _ if looks could kill _ lance wouldn’t be alive. The glare was freezing the tan boy in his seat stiffly.

“I told you to shut up and leave me alone.”

“Well, you seem like you need a friend!”

Keith looked like he was seconds from punching lance but there was only so much more anger Keith could exhibit before exploding, so Lance just made sure to keep his temper in check and kept hacking away at Keith’s wall. 

“Wait!” Lance suddenly exclaimed, making keith jump a bit. 

“What.”

“I recognize you!! You lived across the street??” Lance could barely keep the smile off his lips. 

“I reiterate, what?”

“In Sanfran?? On that block across from that bomb sushi place and thai restaurant??”

Keith was contemplatively silent. “I lived there for some years but I don’t remember you.”

“How could you not remember me?? we lived so close and I always saw you walking to school.” Lance was bursting with anxious energy. He took to trying to rant at Keith, anything to pique his interest. 

But keith then decided to just plain ignore lance, shooting him a glower from time to time when he tried to talk again. Lance eventually stopped trying and the auditorium got quieter as people started talking on stage. 

Keith disappeared directly after the orientation and lance was pushed by the crowd of students directly into the overbearing sun.

“Lance! There you are! You’re not dead!” Pidge rushed over and squeezed lance into a hug. Hunk stomped up from behind them and gathered them both in his wide arms.

“What the heck, lance! He was yelling right at your face! I could give him a piece of my mind..” He squished them both in his beefy embrace 

When they all separated pidge looked over at lance quizzically “so what ended up happening? Did you get buddy buddy?”

“Uhh funny story, no.” Lance hid an embarrassed smiled behind his palm. “He spent most of the orientation either glaring or saying ‘shut up’.” 

“We told you lance, just give up. Jerks will be jerks.” Hunk said with a sigh.

Pidge nodded in agreement 

“Anyhow, I brought a game box! Want to play before lunch together?” Lance change the subject.

He and his two new best friends walked away from the auditorium, trying to forget all about keith on the way back to the dorms. 

__________

  
  


Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) Keith didn’t show up much at all for a whole half of a week. In fact he was never seen whatsoever, Which is pretty daring considering he missed  _ all  _ of his classes for the first week of school.  Pidge alerted lance that their roommate didn’t come back not once all the way until wednesday night. 

Coincidentally, the night Keith was seen again was the same night Lance decided to go out a little and party for the first time. 

He had spent a better half of that evening after classes trying to persuade hunk to come with him.

“Come on hunk, we could meet some pretty ladies and dance a little?” Lance nudged the taller guy, who was mixed various herbs into a little dish. 

Hunk shook his head vehemently. 

“We’re like, nineteen Lance. Twenty is coming soon but not soon enough to be around drunk people.” But when hunk turned lance was giving him irresistible shiny puppy eyes. The man sighed nervously. “We could get caught in a place like that. I can’t lie. Even if what you say is true and this bar doesn’t look for ID’s on their busiest night- I can’t do it. 

“But I can! I can lie for both of us!”

“Then how come I can tell you’re lying right now?” Hunk shook his head. “N. O. And don’t ask Pidge either they’re two years younger.”

“A span till ninety and they’re in college at seventeen.” 

“Some people go faster than others.” Hunk dipped his pinky into the spices and tasted it with a little lick “we all want to experience the most in our lives.”

“Yeah! Like how I want to go out with you! Tonight!” 

“Lance..” Hunk shot him a look of warning “I can’t stop you from going alone but for your safety, please don’t. In scummy places like that not everyone is just drunk, lots of short spanners who think they have nothing to lose cause trouble and do stuff like,” Hunk whispered a little “hard drugs” 

Lance puffed out his chest “I won’t let anyone drug me.” 

“That’s not the way it works just,” Hunk shook his head again “don’t go. Please.”

Naturally, Lance went.

Really, Lance mightve just wanted to prove a point, show hunk he was capable and could survive in the world. 

It wasn’t like he was going to  _ die  _ or anything and sure, lance was oblivious in his worst moments, but he’d be careful.

That’s what he told himself the whole teeth-rattling trip to the nearest bar from the Garrison. He wore another pair of shorts, a cute sailor style high waisted navy blue number that hugged his hips beautifully and a halter top that dripped lowly down his back. He felt pretty good about how he looked but also really cold. Who knew a place that was sweltering hot in the day time could get so cold barely a quarter to nine. 

The walk was relatively short though, even if he felt like a popsicle when he reached the shady door of the club. 

Music was bursting out of every crack in the building, so loud the ground could have been shaking with the bass, but lance was shaking a little himself and couldn’t tell. 

Hunk was right. He also couldn’t lie and he was horrible at faking anything beyond “I’m ok” when he’s sad (even then everyone can tell if they care enough).

Pretending he was twenty one? 

Hunk was right he can’t handle this and he should just turn back-

“Ooooyeee its a cute new boy!” A group also walking over to the bar came up from  behind Lance and all of them, a friendly looking bunch that all looked sober, set his mind at ease. The tallest one and the only male with long and luxurious bleached white hair was the one that called out to him. The man swung his arm over lances shoulder as they kept walking  “You here to have a good time? Hang with us?” 

“Uh- sure?” Lance grinned meekly “Uh-uhm I’m not here to drink I’m nineteen..”

“Well don’t admit that!”  The man laughed “I’m lotor, I’m nineteen too but the bar’ll never tell. You should drink a little!” 

Lance felt way better as the other women in the group, all smiles and friendly eyes surrounded the two of them and chatted lance up, too. 

“Oh- wait!” One of the women he’d come to know as Ezor caught him by  the wrist and pulled him back sharply, stopping the whole group before they got to the door. She flipped his wrist quickly and seethed a little “Thank god I caught that. Here use this bandana.” 

Quickly she fastened a white bandana around his death date tattoo, and lance was sorely confused. The others in the group let out a relieved sigh. 

“Why?”

“This place has loose rules mostly because it’s full of short spanners, and drunk short spanners with little self restraint don’t hesitate to start bar fights with youthful cute boys with an eighty two.”  A thickset woman named Zethrid grunted out “we just saved your ass, basically, kid. They’ll try and ruin your long happy years.” 

Lance shuddered so visibly he probably looked like a leaf in the wind. Two of the women, Axca and Ezor patted his back reassuringly. He noticed everyone there had something over their right wrists too. 

“Let’s go now, and have a good time! Just don’t mention spans in there ok?” Axca spoke up. 

“Yeah. ok. I can do that.” Lance swallowed thickly.

The bar was not only booming from the outside- inside the walls the bar- everything was shaking with rhythm. Sweaty masses of bodies were grinding and dancing alongside each other, people were chugging huge looking fruity drinks, and shot glasses lay like loose papers over every counter. 

Lotor immediately whooped out in excitement and pulled lance to the bar. “Seven shots, my man!” He called to the busy and definitely high bartender. Is being high allowed when serving as a bartender? Lance wasn’t sure, but either way this man was baked. If lance didn’t think he was underage before he definitely did now. 

“Uh, may I just have a virgin cocktail?” Lance had to shout over the chaos. 

“I gotcha sweet-cheeks” The bartender winked as he slid the shot glasses over to lotor (there were way too many but lance didn’t speak up.)

“Virgin?? Lance, live a little!” Zethrid yelled over to him over Ezor. She shoved a shot in his direction. 

“Drink it drink it drink it!” Ezor, Lotor, and Zethrid chanted. Axca sat there looking amused. 

Now, Lance had never had anything more than a sip of wine at christmas. He was actually pretty frightened of being intoxicated, he liked to have control over his mind. But he also was horrible when put under pressure, especially when he was surrounded by friendly and pushy strangers and a leering baked bartender. He glanced at the shot wearily,contemplating it briefly before just grabbing it hastily and downing it. Immediately he coughed and he was about ninety percent sure his throat was on fire but he still smiled when the whole group loudly hollered his name and patted his back. 

“Atta boy!” Lotor smiled widely at him, already a little tipsy at his second shot. “Take another and lets dance!”

“Another???”

“Yeah, virgin!” Ezor teased.

This riled lance a little and soon his second shot was also down. His head was already feeling pretty foggy and he couldn’t stop giggling. 

He giggled all the way to the dance floor and he giggled as he started bopping happily to the beat. 

“Wow, lance you can really dance” Axca grabbed both of his hands and they twisted together gleefully in a childlike manner. The whole group was dancing more modestly than the rest of the dance floor but lance was having more fun than he could remember having before. And he knew he could  _ dance.  _ He swiveled and he swooped and he twisted his body to every beat fluidly and soon he was in the middle of the floor with the group, a gleeful smile stretching across his face. Some even stopped to look at him as he danced and several tried to grind on him (Zethrid just shoved a few guys and it stopped shortly. Lance felt so grateful to have found this group before coming in).

He was sure this was the best night ever, and everything seemed so perfect.

That is

Until his bandana fell off. 

He didn’t even notice for a few minutes and by the time he did the white strap of fabric was lost under too many feet. 

Nervously, he separated himself from the dance floor and rushed to the bar, holding his wrist to himself anxiously.

“oh, I saw it” A voice startled lance out of his thoughts and he recognized the deep voice coming from one of the men who had tried to grind on him on the floor.

Lance gulped “ooooh what? There’s nothing here, I’m just gonna go, you have a good jolly old night.” 

Lance had been persuaded to have a third shot previously and he was feeling a little too dizzy for comfort. 

“We got one of them spoiled long spanners!” The man snarled out. It was just loud enough to catch the attention of several other men near them and they swiveled towards him menacingly.

Zethrid was right, they saw his tattoo and immediately just wanted him to suffer.

He could feel his heart stopping cold in his chest. Or perhaps it was pounding so hard it the heat felt cold. Either way, he was frightened as nearly seven of them were surrounding him now.

“How does it feel, huh? Come here to mock us with your petty number? I can beat that cockiness out of you, kid.” One of the men strode closer to him with a raised fist.

“Pretty boy here’s gonna be a cripple for his long life.” Another sneered.

Surely, one of the nice people from the group he was with would save him, lance thought desperately. There was no way out though, the furious and drunk men were on all of his sides, boxing him in. Lance felt like his heart was going to just stop. 

But no one stepped in and the first man's fist went flying, right into Lances ribcage. Lance had never been punched before but this shocking pain was everything he could imagine. The guy had fists of absolute steel and he just kept swinging, not letting lance take a breath. 

What lance didn’t notice was that as soon as the first punch was thrown, the dancing all but stopped and the bar went into a frenzy. 

People were shouting and screeching at llance, and some were trying to stop the fight. But nothing stopped until a familiar figure stepped out in front of lance and caught the man's swinging arm. 

He then flipped attacker onto his back with a pained groan and the bar lapsed into sudden aching silence. 

Lances vision was swimming as the same familiar figure, his hair dark as the night, grabbed lance and threw him over his shoulder before darting quickly out of the static silent chaos of the bar. 


	3. Lance is an Idiot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heres another chapter!

If he had been expecting to hear anything when he woke up it might’ve been along the lines of “are you ok?” or “how are you feeling?”

Because quite honestly he felt a little like shit. His whole chest was stinging with pain and anytime he shifted it sent a blossom of agony in his ribcage. 

But the first thing he heard when he woke up though wasn’t anything as kind as that.

“You’re an idiot.” 

“What?” lance mumbled a little  

“You’re a bloody idiot.” 

When lance shifted his focus a little and fully woke up he saw that right beside the bed he was in was none other than Keith, leaning back in a chair with his arms and legs crossed and a smoldering glare on his face.

“Uh.. ok?” lance was still trying to fully grasp consciousness and he shook his head a bit to collect his thoughts.

“You go into a grimy bar like the fucking-” Keith paused a little with  a shallow breath “and you show off a stupid long span like it’s something to be proud of. Of course they’d beat your ass.” 

“Hey! I didn’t show off, the bandana someone gave me fell off.”

“Well at least they had the right idea. You shouldn’t have been there.” Keith spat back.

“Well you shouldn’t have been there either!! you’re underage too!” Lance countered, trying to sit up a little but the pain made him immediately lower back into the bed. Keith seemed to flinch a little at his remark.

“Well you’re lucky I was. The  shorty should be back soon.”

“Uh.. thanks. But why did you stay?” 

“Because both of your friends are out looking for your sorry ass probably.” Keith inspected a loose thread on his fingerless gloves. “But since you’re awake-”

And keith got up to leave, pushing the chair back a little roughly. 

“No! Wait, please stay!” Lance called to him, making keith stop in his tracks. 

“Why?”

“Uhm..”

Lance didn’t have an excuse. He just wanted to talk more with Keith, thank him for saving him back at the bar. Lance wanted to be near keith more than he understood, whether it was intrigue in the mysteriousness of keiths personality or the unknown attraction he felt towards the grumpy boy, he needed keith to stay.

“Can you.. Help me with the bruises..?” lance tried.

Keith quirked an eyebrow but stalked off anyhow.

“Wait!” lance cried out, but he was ignored. Lance sighed dejectedly, perhaps a better excuse would have gotten him to stay. 

Sulking a little in disappointment, he lifted his shirt to look at the bruises himself. They weren’t as gnarly as he expected with all the pain in his chest but they still looked pretty gruesome. There were two distinct purple splotches across his ribcage and one on the left on his lower chest. When he reached up to poke one he had to suck in a breath to avoid yelping at the pain.

“Idiot, stop touching them.”

“Keith!” lance was so startled he dropped the shirt. 

“Yeah. that’s my name.” Keith muttered as he pulled out the first aid kit that every dorm had  under the bathroom sink. Lance could feel his cheeks warming up as he watched keith shove the whole box at him. “There you go.”

“Uh..” Lance opened the box and stared, very puzzled, at the assorted contents of the box.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know what to use.” Keith was picking at the loose thread on his glove now.

Lance  _ really  _ didn’t want to admit it to this guy but it was true, he had absolutely no clue what he was doing with any of these weird looking tubes and containers. What was gauze even used for anyways? He pulled out tube after tube after tube, wrecking the neatness of the box as he checked to see if any of the weird labels had a use manual. 

“jesus , you don’t do you. Have you ever gotten hurt before?” Keith snatched the box away and pulled one of the ointments out.

“Not really? Not anything besides a cold actually.”

“Figures” Keith huffed, leaning back into the chair again, motioning to lance to pick up the salve “its arnica, just rub a  little lightly on the big ones.”

Lance opened it up hesitantly and smiled at keith gratefully as he took a bit of it and patted it under his shirt. He managed to hold back on the noises of how painful it was to touch the bruises but couldn’t stop wincing several times.

“Well, congrats.” Keith let out a noise that could’ve been something like a snicker but there wasn’t a smile on his face. Lance realized there never was. 

“For what?” 

“Your first bar fight. You probably will experience a lot in your idiotic life span but a bar fight at a scummy short spanner bar was probably not planned.” Keith was definitely mocking him, and lance felt his cheeks warm. 

“It’s not like I started it!” He tried to sound bold but it came out a little breathless and whiny. 

“You did. By going in there.”

Silence stretched on after that, lance didn’t look up from his bruises as he slowly rubbed the cold ointment in.

“What… were you doing there?” Lance still wasn’t looking up, but when there wasn’t an answer he forced himself to glance. Keith looked a little contemplative if not annoyed. 

“It’s a bar.” Keith deadpanned.

“I know but-” 

“Lance!!!” the two boys jumped simultaneously as Hunk and Pidge’s booming voice filled the dorm together, thundering footsteps crashing their way to the bed. The two stopped on the opposite side of the bed from Keith.

Lance started to really regret going out, especially with how furious hunk and Pidge both looked.

“What were you thinking you flaming idiot???” Pidge punched his shoulder.

“Uh, ow.”

“Obviously he wasn’t thinking” Hunk threw his arms up in exasperation. “I told this guy not to go for him own safety and here he is laid up in pidge’s bed. What happened?”

They both ignored lance when he tried to sputter out an excuse or explanation and instead whipped around to look at Keith.

Keith sighed “he got beat up, obviously.”

Hunk looked like he stopped breathing “I told you, lance!”

Pidge just whapped lance over the head.

“Guys guys! Calm down I took a knock but I’m good.” Lance made sure his shirt was fully down but tugging at it made a smaller bruise by his collar stand out under the neckline of his shirt. Hunk gasped and pulled the tip of the shirt from lances grasp.

The two were silent at the sight of the motley of purple bruises on his torso.

“It’s just a knock or two? Like I said? I’m not dead.” 

“Oh hell” Pidge was rubbing their hands together. 

“Did he get first aid?” Hunk immediately looked over at Keith. Keith subtly nodded.

“You are not allowed out young man, I hope you learned your lesson.” Hunk spoke authoritatively.

“What?? You can’t do that!” Lance gasped.

“Yes, I can. I’ll keep you grounded as my roommate. No going out.”  

“That’s stupid!” Lance argued.

“It’s safe!”

“Well then I’ll live with Keith!” Lance reached out and grabbed a surprised keith’s hand.

“Actually, I think you were stupid too, remember?” Keith grunted.

Pidge piped up a little “does that mean I get hunk?”

“Fine! Live with him! But you aren’t going out not matter what!”

“Wait- I don’t want him either” but Keith was drowned out.

“You can’t stop me!” 

“I want my own dorm.” keith tried again, a little louder but still unheard.

“Yes, I can stop you!” Hunk yelled.

“Does this mean I can move into your guys’ dorm?” pidge poked in again.

“Wait is that whiskey?” Hunk sniffed near lance. “Please tell me its alcoholic disinfectant.”

“He drank” Keith grunted.

Somehow lance felt more crowded than he did in the bar, now surrounded by two hounding friends and one very irritated savior. 

“I’m fine though! Keith saved me.” Lance held a hand up in surrender. 

The two shot keith very surprised looks. 

“Thanks keith.” Hunk nodded at him earnestly.

“Yeah.” pidge added albeit a little weakly.

They lapsed into a stagnant and awkward quiet before keith got up and patted his jacket. He looked a little sheepish, which was a bit uncharacteristic. Lance wondered how many sides of himself he truly hid. 

“Kay well I’m going.” keith mumbled, turning on his heel.

“This is your dorm though? Why don’t you have dinner with us?” Hunk invited warmly.

“It’s nearly midnight.” Lance snorted, looking at a clock beside the bed.

“Never too late for hunks cooking” pidge said happily.

Keith opened his mouth a little as if to say something but pidge cut in again.

“You apparently saved our child so we must repay you” They jested. “Also it seems lance is moving in.”

“He was serious?” hunk muttered. 

“I don’t want this clown” Keith grimaced.

“You’d rather have a gremlin?” Pidge pointed at themselves with a silly grin.

“Why am I being passed around like a pet, I just want to sleep.” Lance groaned.

Hunk laughed and stood “either way, I’ll start cooking. Keith do you like ravioli?” 

Keith looked up with shiny and excited eyes, making lance melt a little bit. He had never seen keith look anything close to happy and in his eyes lance knew the boy was smiling. Keith’s mouth stayed in a grimace as if trying to mask his excitement, but hunk beamed at him fondly and turned to the kitchen to cook without needing confirmation. 

“Yum, ravioli” pidge smacked their lips. “Now, lance tell me about what happened.”

“Uh” lance felt more than embarrassed now about  his little adventure.

“He drank and showed off his number thus getting beat up.” Keith spoke to pidge.

Pidge was starting to look angry again. “ _ Lance.”  _

“I didn’t show it off! I was with this nice group and they covered it for me but it fell off while I was dancing.” He argued.

“Well hunk is right, you shouldn’t be near short spanners it’s dangerous.” 

The group fell into silence. Keith looked uncomfortable and a little peeved.

Maybe that was his resting bitch face though.

“Not all short spanners are dangerous.” Keith spoke again.

“Oh- yeah but in gross places like that there’s dangerous short spanners, it’s obvious since lance met some it seems.” pidge corrected.

Lance buried himself in the comforter and groaned. “I got battle wounds.”

Pidge looked down at lance, their face sad and thoughtful.

“You’re lucky, lance.” They sighed. “So lucky.”

Lance poked his head above the comforter and regarded pidge softly. 

“Why..?”

“Do you think people like that are worried about murder?” Pidge’s eyes welled up a little with tears. “You’re dying at eighty two lance, they aren’t concerned because no matter what they  _ do  _ you’ll live.” 

Lance choked a little at the thought. Keith was inspecting his hands again.

Before lance could respond the other young man stood abruptly, so abruptly actually that his chair tipped over and landed on its back with a dull thud on the carpet. 

Pidge and lance watched as he stalked out without a glance back.

He didn’t return for dinner.

 

________

 

“Lance could I see you after class?” Lance’s professor spoke up while everyone was packing up. 

Lance nodded and headed over to his wide desk.

“Yes, professor Coran?”  

“Oh, just call me Coran, Lance. And don’t worry you aren’t in trouble.” He twirled his orange mustache comically. “So it seems we have a student who is constantly absent. The board decided to take action and he will be attending tomorrow by order.” 

Lance had a feeling he knew exactly who Coran was speaking of.

“Let me guess, bad boy keith?” Lance chuckled.

“Oh! Yes that’s exactly him. Good, you already know him. I’d like you to stick with him a little and make sure he comes.” Coran clapped excitedly. “I think the boy is a tad disturbed and might require emotional support. Try and talk to him, lad.”

“Ok!” lance smiled. He had a mission, and he was excited to pursue Keith with an actual reason besides just being attracted to him.

“You can go now, remember to turn in that review tomorrow.’’

“You got it!” Lance trotted off, stuffing the last book into his bag.

Just when he exited the classroom he ran straight into Keith and dropped all of his things all over the floor.

“Ack! Sorry bro! This is so cliche haha” Lance scrambled to the floor.

Surprisingly no scolding or biting remarks were thrown his way. Keith instead looked around at the items that were thrown from lances bag and softly picked one up.

“You have a lot of empty journals.” His voice was light and a silent question was hidden behind his remark. Lance looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Oh. yeah.” lance picked another one up.

“Why don’t you fill them?”

Lance hesitated. This question again. He supposed he didn’t have much more of a reason besides his just liking empty pages. Having them around promised him he had some way of expressing himself.

“Well some of them have stuff in there!” Lance spoke up, flipping one of them to the first few pages that were, indeed, full of doodles and notes. Keith regarded it silently.

“Do you.. Want one?” Lance held out one of the notebooks. It was one of his favorites that he found on sale at a bookstore back in san francisco, with a swirling red galaxy design dusting the cover. The gold in it glittered in the sun. Keith’s eyes were practically popping out of his head in surprise and he sputtered a little.

“Yes please.” 

Lance placed the notebook into the other’s outstretched palm and watched fondly as Keith’s lips turned up into a warm and appreciative smile. 

“Come with me for lunch?” watching keiths smile drop he held up a hand and added “And you can’t say no.”

Keith wasn’t smiling anymore, but something in the crinkle in the corners of his eyes let out some smothered emotion lance might identify as guilty excitement. 

“Ok.”


	4. Hunk usually has pretty good advice. Too bad lance never listens to it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance might be getting a little too attached, but he can't really bring himself to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE BOYS ARE GETTING SOFT AGAIN.  
> i love writing fluff just as much as I love writing angst so... WHY NOT BOTH???   
> Hope you enjoy this chapter!!

“Are you really moving in with keith?” 

Hunk was cooking, again, and lance just wondered why he wasn’t in some chef program instead of a tech school. 

“No, I was joking then.” Lance smiled up at Hunk. “plus, I wouldn’t leave you, my dear.”

Hunk lighty threw an oven mitt at the back of lance’s head “thank god, that boy scares me.”

“Scares? You? The man of steel? Hunk of love?” Lance snickered “impossible.”

“Well.. I’m wary around him. I feel like he’s hiding something.”

“Probably just some angsty anime backstory.” lance said in falsified wonderment. 

Hunk slid a dish of sugared yams onto the table in front of lance with a weary sigh. 

“Who knows.” 

After another two dishes were served and lance texted Pidge to know there was food, Hunk sat down warily. 

“Still got something to say, huh?” Lance grinned.

“I’m wondering if giving you advice will even be worth it.”

“Worth it?”

“Like, if you ignore it.” Hunk leaned a cheek into his palm. “Like you did with the bar debacle.” 

“Well, I’ll listen to it.” lance answered truthfully. “And I’ll take it seriously.” 

“Ok.” hunk inhaled “then please, if you feel like Keith is ever a violent person, avoid him. Stop talking to him. I know he saved you and all, but he  _ did  _ do that with violence. I haven’t even known you for very long and I can see the side of you that sacrifices your wellbeing for those you don’t know. I feel like if you’re around someone that starts trouble you’ll get hurt.” 

Lance stared into the yams thoughtfully.

“What about pidge?”

“Somehow, I don’t worry about pidge trying to befriend some bad boy who screamed in their face because ‘he looks like he needs a friend.’” Hunk patted lance’s shoulder with a warm smile “plus they spend more time over here than ever.”

“True.” Lance nudges hunks side playfully “worried for me hunky?” 

“Uh,  _ yes.  _ hardly even three weeks into a semester and you’re covered in bruises and trying to warm up to Pidge’s explosive roommate.”

“Speaking of which, we had lunch together the other day.” He failed to mention how it had been spent in mostly silence, the two of them seated on opposite sides of a lunch table and eating quietly. Lance probably would’ve started more conversation if keith didn’t only give him monosyllabic answers (or is lance hadn’t been admiring keith’s face a little too much to be normal, but he couldn’t help himself, Keith had handsome and dark features that were too alluring to be real.)  Hunk, of course, not knowing this, dropped his fork and stared at lance. 

“ _ What. _ ”

Before hunk could release the full wrath of his panic, the front door slammed open and Pidge slid into the room.

“I smell  _ salmon”  _ They giggled.

The whole meal Lance couldn’t help but feel a shiver of excitement, because Keith interested lance. He had more passion ( if that’s what you could call unfiltered rage and aggression) than Lance had ever encountered before. 

It let out something small and unbridled in Lance, something that made him want to be bold, break rules, be out drinking at the age of nineteen in small crummy bars again if not to just have Keith dashing in to save him once over. 

Lance focused of this and silently agreed with hunk. Obviously, if Keith was influencing him so quickly he should stay away from that boy for his own good.

But clearly, Lance didn’t learn his lesson with not listening to hunks advice the first time.

 

The next morning Lance found Keith almost instantly, and how could that not be fate? 

The boy was leaning against a wall and staring into the notebook that lance gave him. There was some indecipherable emotion clouding his features, but lance didn’t dwell on it too much.

“buddy!”

Keith didn’t even glance up.

“Keith?” 

That caught his attention. His stare snapped up from the notebook, which he quickly snapped shut and shoved into his bag. “Yes?” 

“Are you going to class?” 

Keith glared at him apprehensively. “Why do you care?”

“What? I thought we were friends now!” Lance was disappointed that the other was suddenly on defense mode with him again, but he shoved that nagging emotion aside, and instead sidled up to keith on the wall and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. The boy tensed, but he didn’t try to shove lance away.

“That’s a stretch.” Keith grumbled.

Lance ignored his comment.

“Sooo, don’t ask me how, but I may or may not have a list of all of your classes and I’m gonna be with you for all of them today isn’t that  _ exciting”  _ lance squealed. 

“No, that sounds terrifying, what the hell.” 

“Nuh uh, no bad boy keith today! Today is fun-times-lets-learn keith!”  

Keith couldn’t even muster up a snide comment back, he looked pretty shocked that lance was still so close. He squirmed a bit in lances hold. 

“So class one, you ready?” Lance pulled up the list with one hand “college algebra. Huh. All your classes are basic gen ed, you’re not here for the specialized programs?”

“I didn’t want to come here anyways, why do I have to go to the classes?” Keith bit out.

“Well, someone’s paying for them right?” 

This froze Keith suddenly. Sensing the quick compliancy that comment got lance, he stored that thought away for later.

“So, algebra. Let’s go.” 

“What about your classes?” Keith murmured. 

“Oh, I’ve been given a mission today so there’s no classes for me today.” Lance soluted him. He grabbed keith’s hand childishly and laced their fingers together. Keith’s face instantly bloomed into a pretty rose hue. 

They walked like that, hands intertwined towards all the classes that day, and surprisingly keith didn’t complain once. 

After they attended all of keith’s classes that day, lance proud of himself for enduring hours of classes he wasn’t even taking (he shouldn’t have been, he was just bugging ,whispering, or staring at keith the whole time) they stood awkwardly on one of the side lawns. 

“What do you want to do now?” Lance grinned at the sapped looking boy. Keith shook his head.

“Go to bed.”

“No! Let’s do something! Go swimming!” 

“Swimming?” Keith looked a little interested, and that was enough to spur lance into taking his hand again and running with keith over to the Garrisons pool.

You see, The Garrison had its own pool like a lot of schools, but it was usually only reserved for the swim team or those with a (very expensive) public pass. But lance figured if the gate was open that was basically a free invitation, right? And the gate was almost always open, as far as lance had observed.

Lance was gleeful when he saw he was right, and the swim team had left the gate open that afternoon.

Chirping in delight, he ran to the pool edge and started stripping.

“ _ What  _ are you DOING?” Keith yelped when he got his first eyeful of half naked Lance.

“Getting ready to swim, dur” Lance remarked snidely, pulling the other pant leg down. “Join me!”

“Uh, no thanks.”

Shrugging, lance decided if he enjoyed himself enough, eventually Keith would come and join him.

“Wanna bet I can do a double flip into the pool?” Lance called out as he pulled himself up and out, onto the ledge.

“No.”

“Why not???”

“Because there’s no way you can do it.” Keith huffed.

Lance resented that, so he puffed his chest out and turned to keith with a half baked glare. “I’m telling you, I totally can.”

“And I’m telling  _ you  _ that there’s no way you can do it.” 

Keith was leaning back on a pillar with a shadow of a smirk gracing his lips and his arms crossed over his chest. Lance tried not to stare too much at him.

Lance whipped his head back to what he was doing.

“Oh yeah?? Watch me!” Lance reared up to go, bending his knees and hunching to get a clear view of the water in front of him.

“You’ll get hurt, there’s not enough pool stupid.” 

Of course, lance knew that there was a very very slim chance he could actually pull off doing a double flip into a pool without practice. He didn’t want to admit it, but he just wanted to show off a little. He had been in gymnastics for a little as a kid, but thinking of it, flexibility wouldn’t do him much good if he hit his head on the side of a pool.

He decided to just do a cannon-ball, deviously giggly when he heard keith's shocked gasp before he was completely submerged.

When lance broke the surface again, keith was half drench and holding his soggy arms out with a scowl.

“Did you see that awesome double flip??” Lance splashed around some more, making keith hurriedly shuffle back.

“All you did was jump in!”

“You must be blind, I obviously did a double flip.” He laughed, pulling himself out of the pool. “It was too fast for the human eye.” 

“Sure.”

“Well you’re wet anyways, jump in with me!” Lance reached out to keith and pulled him closer. He wanted to pretend that the pink dusting keith’s cheeks was a blush, but he actually wasn’t too sure if  it was just natural or not. 

“I still have my clothes on.” Keith chuckled a little under his breath.

“Then take them off! I’m in my shorts too.”

Keith seemed to contemplate it for a moment before reaching down and pulling off his shirt, then stripping his tight black pants and discarding them as well.

“Ok. but I’m not jumping in, I just want to swim.” 

Lance was about to chide him for not agreeing to jump in with him, but he stopped abruptly when he saw keith.

Half of him was melting because he realized once again that he was so freaking  _ gay  _ and keith looked  _ amazing _ with no shirt on, but he gave into the other half that observed how ridiculous keith looked at the side of the pool and started snorting. Then laughing, then doubling over and clutching his stomach with exaggerated mirth.

“What?” Keith defensively shielded his chest with his hands like a shy maiden and scowled. This only made Lance laugh more.

Lance couldn’t exactly help it. Keith was standing there in not only neon purple boxers (which was funny enough) but his fingerless leather black gloves and white mismatched socks were still on. 

Keith seemed to realize a second later and rushed to grab his clothes. 

“Nevermind.”

“Wait! No! I don’t think it’s bad! do you ever take those off man?” Lance was trying to block keith from getting to his pile and he looked about ready to just push lance over.

“Of course I do. Move.”

“Keith…” 

Keith didn’t wait any longer and shoved lance a little, snatched up his pile, and ran to the locker room next to the pool entrance. 

When lance got dressed and excited, he found Keith sitting aimlessly next to a tree near the gate. Lance wandered over and sat next to him.

“I don’t..” Keith started without even having to look over and see if Lance was there. “I don’t like people comparing their dates.”

Of course he knew what keith was talking about. How couldn’t he? 

“I don’t like that either. So that’s not necessary. We can be friends without needing to compare our spans.” Lance wrapped a supportive and wet arm around Keith.

“But.. don’t spans matter?” Keith muttered, turning away from  lance.

“Not to me. Because no matter what, you’ll be my friend.” lance said, and he was sure of himself. Keith was someone he wanted to hold on to. See more of his little smirks and not-quite-angry glares. He wanted Keith to be around to hold keiths hand shyly and pout when not getting his way.

Nothing compared to the expression keith had on his face when he turned back into lance, though. 

He looked absolutely angelic, the drying wisps of black hair curling and waving in the humid air, cheeks lightly rosy, eyes glistening a little, and mouth upturned in a soft little smile. 

“Thanks.”

Lance reached down to hold keith’s hand again.

 


	5. Between Lotor and Lasagna, Lance prefers the latter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> owo

When they left the tree in front of the pool gates, the sun was already setting.  Vibrant hues of melting gold and pink were spilling over both of the boys, light catching on fluttering eyelashes and slipping across the bow of their lips. They were both equally as reluctant to get up, afraid that their sweet moment would be shattered and (in lances case) that as soon as they retreated from the quiet sunset and parted Keith would crawl back into his shell and block Lance out again. The thought made Lance tighten his grip on The other’s limp hand. Keith was, obviously, not used to affection. When any sort of touch was directed at him Keith froze up and became either completely stiff or like a human ragdoll. It was if Keith didn’t even know how to hold hands, and lance felt a little awkward having to take the lead.  

Hunk would most likely explode if he saw the two of them that evening, keith unconsciously curling a little into lance’s shoulder and lance grasping their hands together, sometimes fiddling with one of keiths fingers or stroking the soft part of keiths palm (where it wasn’t calloused). 

Lance felt guilty about the irony of that, trying to snuggle up to keith after mere hours of promising Hunk he’d listen to the advice given.

_ Oh, well.  _

The quiet was broken when keith shifted away lamely, his movements stiff and jerky. 

“Why do you always do that?” Keith muttered 

“Do what?” 

“Hold my hand and touch me.” Keith squirmed “it’s weird.”

Lance felt his heart deflate, he was right. Keith was raising his walls again. 

“Ooohh haha I have a lot of siblings, sorry! I can uh..” Lance started to unclasp their hands shamefully “I can stop. Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Keith whispered. 

“It’s fine to do it or-”

“It’s  _ fine” _ Keith jumped to his feet before lance could decipher the meaning of his words, “we should go, it’s getting dark.” 

Then he sped away leaving lance with little to say in response.  

“Wow, I guess we’re racing now!” Lance shouted as he started to run in Keith’s direction. “It’s not fair that you got ahead start but I’m obviously faster so-”

But he realized that Keith was even faster than he appeared, because when he turned at the corner of the dorm building, keith wasn’t there.

But he still crashed into someone else anyways.

“Woah!” Lance gasped out when he fell face first into some man’s hard chest. Not able to right himself immediately, he looked up with a chagrined smile.  “Sorry about that, man.”

Before the man he fell into could respond, lance gasped as he caught sight of his face. 

“Lotor??” 

“Lance!” The man smiled widely and picked Lance up around the waist and spun him around. “Thank god, you’re ok!” 

The shorter of the two winced when his bruises were pressed but still beamed at Lotor. His long bleached white hair was now pulled up in an attractive bun and he flashed charming straight teeth. It was the kind of smile obviously corrected by braces.

“So what happened? Did you get hit?” He set lance down and put a hand on the square of his back to guide him to a bench. “We were worried back there!” 

“Well, I got thrashed a bit.” Lance laughed. “Also, we should go inside it’s almost dark here.” 

“Ok, what dorm are you in?” he said.

Lance couldn’t help but notice there there was always something a little.. Taut and superficial about his smiles. And lotor was almost always smiling, but there was little merriment in his eyes. Lance decided to brush that off though and settle into the enigmatic presence of the guy anyways.

“I don’t remember, forty something?” Lance grinned sheepishly “usually my roommate walks with me or I guess correctly eventually.” 

“Then why don’t we go to mine?” Lotor offered.

Lance hesitated briefly, but it was enough for Lotor to take note of.

“My roommate is home, don’t worry! It’s that girl from the bar, Axca? She’s chill.” 

“I didn’t even know the dorms were co-ed, is that allowed?” Lance frowned.

“I pulled some strings, my dad happens to run the school.” Lotor answered quickly, already guiding Lance to the entrance of the dorms. 

While they walked, up flights of stairs, higher than Lance’s dorm, lance glanced at Lotors number. An eighty seven. Surprisingly high, higher than Lances but lower than pidges. Having a span between eighty and ninety was rare and a little ridiculous. Getting even near seventy was a feat, and with pidge it was expected because they were a natural genius who ate three square meals a day and knocked out like a log at nine thirty regularly. 

With the vibes that the guy was giving off (distinctly gay, come at me please, vibes) and the length of his span, so very close to lance’s… this guy would probably be the suitor his parents would approve of. Especially with the prestigious family lotor had more than hinted at. 

So then  _ why  _ did lance feel so  _ uncomfortable  _ with lotors hand, unbudging from the sensitive square of his lower back?

And why did he want that contact with offhandish Keith, who made it clear that he wasn’t interested in a relationship (even friendship) with lance? And what if Keith was uncomfortable with showing spans because he didn’t want lance to try and date him?

Lance didn’t want to  _ date  _ him… 

He just wanted to be around him.

And if one thing led to another..

“Here we are!” Lotor announced as they stepped in front of a door.

Lance liked lotor but he couldn’t figure out how he let the guy lead him all the way to his dorm on their second meeting.

“Axca’s grumpy at..” Lotor hummed in thought “well, Axca’s grumpy if she’s not drinking, no matter what so.. Don’t be thrown off, she likes you!”

“Should we just meet tomorrow? It’s almost dinner time.” Lance backed away a bit, but he couldn’t shake the man’s hand off his back.

“Oh have dinner with us! Axca can muster something up, as always.” Lotor reached for the handle, as if he didn’t even notice Lance trying to back away. 

Lance was sort of panicking now. He definitely wanted to be friends with Lotor but after dark wasn’t the best time to be in some guys dorm, and if Lotor  _ was  _ lying and didn’t have a roommate there that would kinda suck.

Before lance could just full on run away, they both turned abruptly when lance was yanked away from Lotors grip and spun back into someone else’s hold.

Lance was a little dizzy from the sudden encounter, and he really really hoped it was Keith saving him.

It had to be Keith, right?

But the chest was a little too broad to be keith, the grip even stronger and the hands warmer, not covered by fabric.

Lance’s suspicions were confirmed when he glanced up to catch sight of the firm and stern jawline of a suspicious Hunk, who was glaring at Lotor.

“Is this guy bothering you Lance?” Hunk grumbled, pulling Lance away more from the shocked man.

“Uh….” 

“No! No, we’re friends. We met at the bar and-” Lotor rushed to amend.

Obviously mentioning the bar was  _ not  _ the correct option, because hunk stepped bad even more and pushed Lance behind him. 

It seemed from Hunk’s reaction, he thought Lotor was leading lance into his dorm with less..

Child friendly intentions.

“Hunk, buddy! It’s ok! We were just parting because we chatted and it’s dinner time.” Lance patted Hunk’s back reassuringly. “Lotor’s a friend.”

“Huh… ok.” Hunk didn’t stop staring at lotor suspiciously though. “Well it’s good you’re up here! I was about to find you.”

“I should go then” Lotor laughed nervously. “Nice seeing you again, Lance. Let’s hang out sometime.”

“Right on.” Lance grinned. 

Lotor silently slipped behind his door without further comment.

“So.” Lance turned to hunk happily. “why are you up here??” 

“Should say the same to you, was that really only friendly?” Hunk sneered a little at the closed door.

“Totally. Don’t worry about it.” Lance nodded.

“Why do you constantly find people I worry about?” hunk grunted wearily “You’re aging me slowly.”

“Sorry bud.” 

“Anywho, I was going to find you because Pidge wants to have dinner with their brother and his roommate up here.” Hunk vaguely pointed to a door down the hall. “His name is matt and his roommate is Shiro. They’re seniors.” 

“Shiro? As in Shirogane?” Lance perked up at the name. “He’s a tech whiz! A total inspiration!” 

Hunk smiled fondly at Lance “of course! I made Lasagna.”

“Even better.” Lance jested. “Let’s go.”

They walked a couple doors down to the awaiting door and when they entered lance was blasted with the rich aroma of Lasagna and something baking.. Like cake. He didn’t realize how hungry he was up until that moment.

Pidge immediately ran up to lance and hugged him, Their affection was something that was slow at the beginning but constant when established. Lance patted their head.

“Lance welcome!” pidge yelled “This is my weird brother’s dorm!” 

“I’m the weird brother!” Another voice resounded from where lance assumed was the kitchen.

“And I’m the tired roommate.” A man walked in from another adjoining room and lance almost squealed out in happiness when he saw him. Takashi Shirogane was a master of the Garrison program, after all. No, more than a master, he was a  _ legend. _

“Hi. I’m Lance.” He grinned at Shiro. Shiro came over and extended a hand with a matching smile.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Shiro.” He responded when lance reached out to shake it.

“We know aaaalll about you mister!” A pidge lookalike stepped into the room. “Sir Bar fight.”

“I didn’t want that to happen..” Lance groaned.

“We don’t judge you.” Shiro assured. “Some people are just… unhappy with their place in life.”

“Got that right” groaned hunk as he settled into the couch. “Just found him almost being taken into some weird guys dorm alone.”

Everyone whipped around to stare at Lance, even shiro and matt who didn't really know him. Lance blushed fiercely.

“HUNK! It wasn't-” Lance stuttered “It was NOTHING like that! It was a friend and his roommate was home!”

Pidge settled beside hunk “what are we going to do with out child, hunk?”

“He should be grounded.”

“I thought he was.”

“You guys can’t ground me! I’m nineteen!” Lance argued.

“Still too young. Ah, youth.” Hunk muttered before jumping to his feet and walking over to the kitchen. “Oh, and ‘ah lasagna’!, dinner will be out in a minute guys!”

“Yay!” Matt and Pidge shouted in unison.

“Why are you two so loud together, we’re gonna get noise complaints.” Shiro laughed.

Lance, not really knowing what to say to the master of tech and pidge 2.0, sat on the couch and crossed his legs. He idly listened to the siblings boisterous conversation (with a subtle and random comment from Shiro, which was often teasing or mockingly exhausted with the pair) before drifting off into his own thoughts.

Should he seek out and guide Keith to his classes again tomorrow?

“You have a brother, too right Shiro?” Pidge piped up, breaking lance from his thoughts.

“Yeah he’s a fun guy.” Shiro chuckled as though it were an inside joke. But then he looked sad. Really sad. “He’s actually my adoptive brother. He doesn’t accept that very well though and kind of pushes me away.”

Before anyone could respond Hunk called out from the kitchen. “Guys! Dinner!”

“Well hopefully you two grow closer.” Matt added.

“Yeah.”

Hunk sounded impatient as he shouted again “Guys!! Lasagna!”

They rushed to the kitchen and settled around the oval table, all humming in satisfaction at the sight of the decadent food displayed.

“Thanks, hunk.” Lance chirped. 

“Yeah, thankyou.” Shiro added.

The other two were already two bites in, and beamed at hunk with pasta stained mouths.

When dinner was finished and Pidge, Hunk and Lance said their goodbyes to the other two, it was already past eleven and Pidge looked about ready to pass out. They already snoozed a little on the couch at around the predictable time of nine thirty.

Hunk sweeped the little person of their feet and let them rest in his supportive arms.

“Lance, did you really listen to my advice?” Hunk said lowly when they descended another floor.

It took Lance a few minutes to respond, but his answer was already heard loud and clear to hunk.

Hunk sighed feebly. “It’s fine. Just take care of yourself.” 

“I will.”

“And I’ll be here too, don’t forget to lean on me.” Hunk smiled.

Lance nodded. He was lucky to have made a friend like Hunk.

 


	6. Keith's turn for fun-times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BIKE SAFETY IS IMPORTANT KIDS DON'T PULL A KEITH OK

 

It was easy to find keith again. After all, the boy was constantly in the same places. He’d either brood in the corner of the dormitory, close to both of their rooms, or near a shady tree outside, leaning back yet not relaxed.

That’s where lane found him the next day, under the same tree they parted at the night before with his arms laxing behind his head and chin tilted up to the willowing branches above.

It was a serene sight to take it, but keith always looked tense. Maybe if lance gave him a massage he’s learn to relax.  _ Hah. as if keith would let him near his back. _

“Keith?” He called out when he got closer.

Keith’s eyes shot open and he sent a surprised glare in lances direction.

As soon as he saw who it was, though, his eyes softened a little and it looked like he was suppressing a little smile.

He leaned forward, propelling himself up from the tree by his elbows. “Hi lance.”

“Hi!” Lance gushed, happy keith wasn’t awkward still from their last encounter. “ready for another day of fun times?”

“Well..” keith finally let his lips quirk into smirk “I was thinking since I followed your day of fun times, it’s my turn.”

Keith was  _ thinking?  _ About  _ lance?? _

Lance felt his eyes widen and he appraised keith. He was wearing denim pants that day, fitted loosely, under a close cut red t-shirt. The red was so dark the color almost bled into black at the bottom, and it made his charcoal eyes pop. 

Lance  _ wasn’t  _ checking the guy out, no way.

He was just

Admiring his fashion sense.

One would think that a bad boy like keith wouldn’t care what he wore, but it couldn’t be coincidence that every garment keith adorned happened to look more than amazing on him.

Or maybe he just looked good in anything, there was that possibility too.

“So?” Keith prompted.

“Oh! Where to? I mean you have classes..”

“Who cares about that, I sure don’t.” Keith sighed, finally getting up to his feet. “I told you to fuck off before-”

Lance flinched at that.

“-But since you’re so insistent on clinging to me I’m bringing you somewhere today.” he finished.

“Wow!! You care about me!!” Lance fanned himself with his hand dramatically. 

“No, im going with or without you.” Keith sighed and bent down to get a leather jacket that was resting there. 

Lance could tell, though, that keith was definitely warming up to him. Keith, who didn’t smile and constantly cursed lance out at the beginning, couldn’t resist a smirk or a chuckle or two around lance now. 

“Really, this is your fault for saving me, now you have a complimentary lance as a prize!” 

“Yeah I sure do regret that.” Keith chuckled “now move it.” 

Lance followed keith off of campus until they were meandering alongside the abandoned train tracks that lead out of town. It worried Lance and in hindsight, maybe he should have asked keith where exactly there were headed. 

But keith was so silent in a thoughtful manner that lance didn’t want to disturb him.

He wished that Keith would stare at him as much as lance did, but maybe he was and lance wasn’t noticing. 

At the moment, keith had been looking everywhere but lance, staring serenely into the tall mountains and the desert beyond.

As soon as they were on the edge of town the suburban lineup of brown townhouses fell away into the tranquility of dry open air along towering shrubbery and arching hills.

They remained walking side by side, lance sometimes lagging behind, for somewhere near an hour and a half. Keith probably forgot lance was there along the way.

“Where are we?” Lance spoke up after a while. He really hadn’t been prepared for a hike and his feet were aching, the straps of his sandals smarting in between his toes. It didn’t help that it was hot. Too hot to be real.

Keith had been prepared, with his ever present thick combat boots. It seemed he was always ready for a hike.

“Out of town.” Keith grunted.

“I mean- obviously.”

“You’ll see.” Keith strutted even further ahead, leaving lance in literal dust. Lance coughed as some went into his face. “We’re almost there.”

“We are?” 

Everywhere around them was sparse shrubbage, hill, and open open plain (full of dirt, dead grass, and dust). It was hard to believe there were near anything.

But true to keiths word, as they walked a slope down a steep decline, a small building was appearing closer to them in the distance.

And upon closer inspection, it was a shack.

A very run down shack.

Lance was beyond curious and perhaps a little disappointed. 

“You brought me out here to go to your playhouse in the middle of nowhere?” Lance 

Keith didn’t respond, instead rushing forward into a sprint to the shack.

Unable to sprint in strappy sandals (and just outright lazy) Lance only walked behind him with a sigh.

He was nearing the door a minute after keith had rammed his way in and was shocked senseless at the sight of the interior.

The whole shacks inside was covered, floor to ceiling, in mechanical tools and parts and just so many (so many the piles and stacks of bolts and wrenches and papers made the decrepit brown of wall and floor nearly invisible) items. It overwhelmed lance at first, and he had to step back. Because in the middle of it all, surrounded in a glorious shroud of blueprints and mechanical tools, was keith straddling a shiny red and large motorcycle. 

Keith really managed to check off every stereotype in the bad boys handbook, didn’t he.

“Hop on.” Keith was smiling, his lips spread in pure glee across his face and lance wanted to admire the sight forever. 

“Onto.. onto your bike?” 

“Yep.” 

“Without a helmet????” Lance panicked.

“You think you’re dying soon?” Keith quirked an eyebrow.

True, lance wasn’t dying anytime soon.

But he prefered not to spend his full eighty two years in a coma, thank you.

Keith sensed his hesitation and tilted his head back with a laugh.

“Well, I could just leave you here.” Keith teased.

Lance was  already running to straddle the damned thing behind him at the thought of being left in a broken down, cluttered shack hours from town. Keith was nodding in satisfaction.

“Hold on.”

Lance fumbled to grasp the sides of keiths waste hesitantly.

“Tighter.” Keith urged, “make sure you don’t fall off.”

Lance wrapped himself fully around keith, flushed up against his broad back and eyes anywhere but the fluffy mullet he really wanted to touch.

And then keith was pressing on the gas.

Lance shrieked as they shot like a bullet out of the open doors, sure that his first motorcycle experience would just make him feel queasy and get him a bug in his eye.

But surprisingly, being on a bike, surrounded in the serenity of open nature and pressed fully against someone so … handsome?

He was in heaven, and he felt like he was flying.

The air blowing into his face and limbs made him feel weightless, the subtle brush of keiths dark locks against his cheek made him giddy.

They zoomed over pains of grass, along various cacti patches and sweeping landscapes of wilting dandelions.

But nothing of dying plants in summer heat had lance’s spirit down.

Because he was soaring and his throat started bubbling up with laughter. Keith joined him and they started whooping and hollering and beaming at the nothingness of empty plains together.

It was the most life he’d ever seen in keith and it might’ve been the most life he’d seen pour out from within himself.

He looked forward to see that keith was staring backwards, gazing simply at lances face from the side.

As much as lance wanted keiths attention, his urge for safety had him screeching in keiths face when he saw no one was looking at the path before them.

“DAMNIT Keith, DRIVE properly PLEASE!” Lance screamed above the wind. This had keith whipping forward fully, laughing at lance’s reaction.

With a pounding heart Lance kept looking at keith, the side of his now confident face, his strong and pronounced cheekbones, his silent and demeaning aura now light and full and so encompassing that it filled lance up too.

And lance realized that he had it  _ bad. _

Worse than he could’ve imagined, actually, because he was shaking now with the sudden burst of affection within him.

They rode on for awhile, too long for lance to keep track of, but it must’ve been nearing three to four in the afternoon.

Every moment was pure bliss, and when he saw they were circling back to the familiar view of keith’s little shack, his heart deflated.

“Do I have to get off?” Lance muttered when Keith swerved into a parking position within the small building.

Keith grinned bit back at him. “If you want to get home before dark.”

That had lance swinging his leg over the side of the motorcycle  with a sigh, and nearly collapsing when he realized that his legs must’ve turned into jelly on the ride. He was swinging forward with unsteady feet and a surprised gasp when keith leaped from the bike and caught lance in his chest.

“Woah!” Keith groaned “sorry about that, should’ve warned you.”

Lance just nodded silently into his chest with a full face blush. Keith shirt was slightly damp and smelled of musky sweat and something else distinctly keith that lance couldn’t grasp. 

He then righted himself and smiled at keith, pretending he hadn’t just sniffed his chest moments before.

“So… we heading home?” Lance asked.

“Yeah. You liked the ride?”

“I loved it.” Lance admitted.

Keith smiled as he rolled the bike farther into the back.

They walked back in silence at first, just like the first time, but after awhile lance realized that he was suddenly so comfortable with keith. More comfortable than he felt with most people. And so he started the conversation up again.

“Where’d you get the bike?” He questioned subtly.

“Ah. well.” Keith sniffed a little into his palm “I built it actually. From spare parts and other bikes and whatnot.”

“You  _ built  _ that???” Lance shouted. He could barely believe a bike so beautiful and professional looking was an original model. “How long did that take you?”

“A few years?” Keith sighed “I’ve lived here for awhile now. I tried dropping out of highschool to just build bikes but…”

He looked off into the sun, now lowering into the valley ahead of them.

“My family..” He paused as if the word wasn’t applicable, “they wanted me to experience high school and college. So that’s why I’m here.”

“I see.” Lance looked into keiths face. “Well. I loved it. Its amazing. If you ever want to kidnap me back out here again Im willing.”

Keith only smiled in return.

They made it back into town silently and happily, ever so infused the the pure glee of riding keith’s bike together. Lance guided keith’s hand to his and they walked with them intertwined again.

The sunset, beautiful as ever, just topped off the perfect day.

 


	7. A third day of fun times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I noticed that I mention the temperature a lot in my stories lmao, but I'm either REALLY COLD or REALLY HOT and there's not in between where I live so wygd  
> Sorry this took so long! i was a lil' preoccupied. But I already have a lot written out for future chapters and I'm very excited.

 

Lance most likely should NOT have been waiting outside of Keith's (and pidges, but does that count when they slept in lances dorm more often than not?) at five am.

He also maybe, just maybe should have reconsidered knocking on his door not once, not twice, but around twenty times continuously.

At five am.

When Keith's first class was around, oh, ten am. (not that keith was even going to attend, lance figured, but he was going to try to make him eventually)

Lance just couldn't sleep. He was plagued with an abundance of energy that had him itching for morning to come.

He didn't really regret knocking on Keith's door so much though, especially when the boy came to answer lances call with a priceless bedhead, rumpled clothing, and a scowl about as menacing as a tired kitten.

Keith growled a bit when he saw lances beaming and energized face. "The fuck."

"Good morning to you too, sunshine!"

Keith tried to slam the door in his face, but it was caught by lance thrusting his entire self inside.

Lace giggled as he flopped onto the couch right by the door. "Aha! I have infiltrated."

"Get out."

"No, I think I'll stay. You got any food?" Knowing full well it would irritate Keith more, he leaned back and rested his legs on the armrest of the couch. He looked completely at ease.

Just as anticipated, Keith's left eyebrow twitched in clear agitation. "No."

"Then we can get out! How domestic, buying breakfast together, we could-"

"Never mind. I have lucky charms." Keith immediately shut lance down and lumbered sluggishly  to the kitchen.

Smirking, lance followed behind him. The kitchen in this dorm was the same as his and Matt's, in fact he figured almost every dorm was nearly identical. The floor was a boring white tile, already stained subtly with what lance assumed was coffee. The walls were a stagnant yellow an the counters were flat and grey. Nothing about any dorm that was just moved into held much character, but none of Keith's dorm looked remotely lived in. It barely looked like Keith touched even the couch or the fridge.

"So you're a lucky charms guy?" Lance tried to start up a conversation as Keith reached up into a half empty cabinet to reach said cereal.

At first lance didn't think he'd get an answer but then Keith cleared his throat.

"I pick out the marshmallows."

"What about the rest?" Lance leaned against a counter.

Keith frowned "that parts boring."

"Blasphemous! You have to eat it all together!" Lance gasped.

There was no response as keith wrestled to open the top of the lucky charm box. 

Just as lance speculated, if lance got close enough to keith he could see the soft inner part of his personality, the keith that laughed boisterously while speeding over hilltops on a shiny red bike, the keith that blushed when his hand was held too long.

But, quite frankly, if left alone long enough Keith sometimes returned to dick mode.

Especially when  he was tired.

(this might have been lance’s fault for waking him up so early though)

“Are we gonna have another day of fun times?” Lance said over a bite of lucky charms after two bowls were poured.

Keith was picking out the marshmallows, his eyes not even fully open. “Maybe when it’s actually day-time.” He said bitterly.

“I was excited.” Lance admitted happily “yesterday was really fun.”

This seemed to wake keith up a little, and the boy’s eyes opened fully as he smiled at lance.

“Yeah.”

They ate in content silence for a moment before keith spoke up again.

“I want to sleep a little more though.” He said with a yawn.

“Oh. Oh! Yeah. Sorry.” lance felt more than guilty “want me to just leave..? I was gonna start my fun day early.”

Keith stopped eating for a second and stared at the rim of the table silently.

“Your fun day?”

“For fun times!” lance exclaimed. “I have much planned. I even got Hunk on board to loan me his car. And I brought a cd!”

Keith glanced up curiously.“Isn’t it a school day?”

“Yuuup.”

Keith looked like he was considering it a little before he pushed his half eaten bowl (now devoid of any marshmallows, lance noticed, but full of the boring o’s) 

“I’m more awake now. Let me pull my jeans on.”

Lance started bouncing happily, running to the couch by the door to wait.

When keith came back, lance had to still his heart. He shouldn’t be  _ this  _ excited to be going out, it’s not like this was a date.

“Hunk and Pidge are going to meet up with us there a little later.” Lance said this mostly to himself, to remind himself that this wasn’t special. Hunk was gonna take matt’s car with pidge. This wasn’t totally one on one. Keith nodded in response anyways.

Lance was quiet for a moment, looking down at his shoes so he wouldn’t stare at keith.

“Well? Where are we going?”

 

_____

 

Hunk’s pristine and  _ old  _  yellow Toyota (a classic that no one would appreciate, hunk would lament) was parked in the student parking lot, and  when they reached it Keith just chuckled.

“This car is so old.” He smiled.

“Yeah, I don’t know much about cars though.” Lance took out the keys and unlocked the car with a click. He then balled them up and tossed them at Keith’s chest as he slid into the passenger seat. The other caught it with a surprised “oof.”

“I call shotgun!” Lance cried from within the car. 

“Should I even be driving your friends car?” Keith sighed, after he yanked his side open.

“Yeah yeah, I trust you with this now, after you drove me around yesterday.” Lance already had his seatbelt on, a piece of mint gum in his mouth, and was popping a cd into the player.

Keith just sighed and slid into the seat. 

He started the engine and pulled out.

“Where are we going?” Keith asked happily, his mood surprisingly pleasant after his grumpiness that morning.

“Just head downtown, we’ll be going  hitting the freeway after that and then in the direction of Flagstaff.”

“Flagstaff is hours away.”

“We’re not going there, just trust me.” Lance smiled over at Keith, who was staring at him with a complex expression that could’ve been happiness, confusion, or something in between.

“Ok.”

They were exiting the school, hitting the main street. The quiet between them was serene.

And then a minute later Queen started blasting from the speakers.

Lance shrieked in happiness and Keith shrieked in surprise. 

“WHY IS IT SO LOUD” keith screamed over the blaring starting notes of ‘Another one bites the dust.’ “AND WHY IS IT QUEEN.”

“WHAT?” Lance yelled back with a grin, already bopping a little to the music as he adjusted the dial. Suddenly it was lower (still way too loud to be normal but the car wasn’t shaking anymore) and the song was changed to “don’t stop me now.”

And to Keith’s horror, or fascination it was hard to tell, Lance started singing along.

Lance let the lyrics roll from his tongue as he lifted his arms and rolled his body to the rhythm in his seat. Keith was having a hard time focusing his attention on the road as he gaped at the way Lance dramatically shimmied his shoulders and wiggled his finger tips at the drivers seat with a mischievous smirk. 

“C’mooon Keith, sing!” Lance whined.

“Uh, hell no.” Lance could hardly hear him over the music but he shrugged and continues singing himself, turning to his door and rolling down his window.

Wind gushed out from it, the day was blustery and hot and each gust that smacked them both in the face was overwhelmingly humid. But both, even if keith tried to hide it, smiled happily as they turned onto the highway. Lance danced the whole way there and keith reluctantly started singing after ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’

Lance couldn’t deny how beautiful Keith was, mouthing the lyrics with false neighety and the air fanning raven locks out around his face. 

And lance couldn’t have noticed how Keith was looking at him the same way, staring as his dark brown hair was shining golden in the morning sun. Keith rolled down his window too, and they felt the bliss of music and flowing air wrap around them.

Time wasn’t something either of them had a grasp on, it went too fast to be real but each time one of them caught the others eye it froze.

This was something they hadn’t been able to do on the bike, stare at each other, be beside each other. (even though lance wished he could be clasping keith’s middle like he was the day before)

Keith pretended he was paying very close attention to the road and lance did the same with the music, as ‘Killer Queen’ started blasting for the third time.

Soon they reached their destination.

“Is this..” Keith looked startled as he pulled into the large parking lot.

“A mall!” Lance shouted, as he turned down the music. “A  _ shopping  _ mall.”

Malls were ordinary. In fact, they were everywhere. But ordinarily, they were filled with shops that specializes in the luxury of senses. Like massage shops, parlors, salons, body care cafes (lance  _ loved  _ body care cafes, Who wouldn’t love having their nails and hair done with an optional face mask while enjoying a nice cup of coffee or tea?) and food courts of course. Food was super popular.

Actual shopping? Wasn’t as popular. And it certainly wasn’t usually included in a strip mall such as the one they were faced with.

After the discovery of death dates, possession of items weren’t as necessary to people. The majority of people wanted to have experiences over things they’d just forget or just leave behind when their date came up. There were solitary stores that had clothing, furniture, and necessities around every block or so. A mall full of extra items like this was old fashioned.

Keith looked shocked.

“Is that.. Is that a Target?” Keith muttered.

“Yup.” 

“And a..” Keith cut himself off, but Lance saw him staring at the large sign displaying a stuffed animal store. It was too cute to be real, and Lance wondered if he was truly staring at that sign. Lance nodded again, with a twitching smile.

“Yup!”

“Let’s go.” Keith pulled the keys out of the ignition and opened the door. Lance happily followed him. 

They walked to the entrance of the first store. 

“So which stores do you want to go to?” Lance looked over at the other boy but stopped when he saw how stricken he looked.

“Uh… you ok?”

“I didn’t bring money.”

“oh...OH!” Lance exclaimed, suddenly embarrassed. “I should have warned you! Don’t worry I’ll cover you today.”

Keith looked grateful, but apprehensive. They continued on without a word.

Lance marveled at how much more open Keith seemed as he stared in wonder at the racks of colorful items around him. And then Keith picked up a stuffed hippo.

“I think this is.. Lance?  _ Lance! _ Stop Laughing!” Keith blushed furiously, slamming the toy back onto the shelf.

“I can’t help it, it’s so cute!”

Keith looked away, seemingly ashamed. “I don’t need it.”

“But you want it.” Lance said, picking it up and pushing it into his cart. Keith’s eyes widened.

“I shouldn’t get anything.” Keith muttered, wrapping an arm around himself. “I don’t need it.”

“But if you want it you should have it.” Lance insisted. “So I’m getting it for you. Don’t pay me back. Oh, and this candy bar.” He hummed happily as he added a snickers to his basket as well.

Keith was still standing there, looking a little shocked.

“Keeeith? C’mon? It’s a stuffed animal, and you deserve it.” Lance murmured as he hooked his arm around Keiths and pulled him forward.

Keith was then quiet and expressionless for the rest of the time they looked around the store.

So much for him being open.

On the way to the second shop They had a clear view of the parking lot and Lance gasped when the newest BMW model swished its path into a parking lot and Pidge and Hunk emerged, looking smug and gleeful.

“What a ride!” Hunk laughed “I love my toyota but whoo! The whole way, not a bump it was so smooth and silent.”

Lance pouted “that green color sucks though.”

“It’s pretty neon huh?” hunk chuckled.

“Hey! I like it!” Pidge pulled up their sunglasses.

“No wonder you lent me your car bud.” Lance sighed. “Anywho! Keith come here.”

Keith reluctantly shuffled over to lances side.

“Soooo?” Lance prompted.

“Sorry I yelled at you.” Keith huffed.

Pidge guffawed happily “you tamed the bad boy, Lance!”

Hunk joined in laughing.

“I was  _ not  _ tamed by anyone!” Keith remarked indignantly. Lance smiled as he saw the light in his eyes return, he looked happier now. Lance was holding the bags and it seemed like Keith was trying to ignore them entirely, like Lance hadn’t bought the plushie at all.

It perplexed Lance on a whole different level.

They continued shopping, now with the whole group, and Keith pretended not to be interested in anything else. But he looked like he was enjoying the experience.

Lance supposed that was the most important part.

The shopping ended all too early. Despite being there for shopping for things not usually included in the popular selection of self care, lance ended up buying face masks and beauty products. Keith resorted to teasing him when he did, but Lance didn’t mind. It was friendly.

He also bought a beautiful pair of sandals and a sunhat he  _ knew  _ would be very useful. 

Hunk bought some nice vests and Pidge went crazy in the game store. The small giddy teenager bought an entire system with their games. 

Then around one, everyone started to notice how loud their stomachs were becoming, especially Hunk.

“Should we stop by a restaurant?” Pidge wondered.

Keith looked suddenly uncomfortable, and Lance wondered if he didn’t like being in restaurants. He was even visibly sweating.

“Uh, nah. Let’s stop by a stall. Or a food truck! Something fast!” Lance said enthusiastically. 

Hunk hummed excitedly “ooh, I haven’t done that in forever. That sounds nice.”

Keith’s shoulders slackened and he scooted closer to lance. It felt like silent appreciation.

“Ok then.” Pidge grinned as they pulled out their phone “there’s a taco truck two minutes from here.”

“You like tacos, keith?” Lance turned to the boy.

Keith nodded cooley “sure.”

“Then off we go!” Hunk exclaimed.

They walked away from the mall then, lance subtly latching onto Keith’s side. Keith seemed oddly pleased. 

And another surprise, he was the first on to start another conversation.

“What about your guys’ classes?” Keith remarked.

“Oh, we all skipped.” Pidge stated matter of fact. “It’s a field day today!” 

“What rebels we are.” Lance giggled. 

Hunk shook his head solemnly “I’m still uneasy but whatever, I got some cool stuff.”

“You seem the like the type to be scared of breaking the rules” Keith said with a smirk.

Pidge snorted “good god, he is. It took so much convincing last night to get him to skip. And he even called in sick.”

“Hey! I don’t want to get marked down!” Hunk said.

Lance smiled at the group, and was proud that he was the one who managed to pull Keith into it.

The two pairs spilt near four in the afternoon after eating their tacos, and the sun was becoming even more unbearably hot as Keith and Lance made their way to the Toyota.

“I had fun today!” Lance said joyfully as he swung into the passenger seat again.

Keith sat down in his seat and looked over at the other with a serious expression. 

“Me too.” he replied, staring straight into Lance’s eyes. “Thanks, Lance.”

Lance was going to melt. He was sure he was going to just  _ combust  _ right in his seat, with the way Keith was looking at him. His eyes were wide and earnest. And so bright, too captivating for lance to look directly at.

Keith turned to the wheel as if he hadn’t noticed. Lance figured he probably didn’t.

As soon as the ignition was on Queen started blaring again and that snapped Lance right out of it. He laughed and started dancing again. Surprisingly, Keith started singing right away. And the windows were rolled down without question.

They drove home in bliss.


	8. Lance is smitten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KEEFY IS GETTING AFFECTIONATE IT MAKES ME HAPPY  
> So I hope you enjoy this one! I'm so excited for the next chapter omg. y'all will love it.

Fun times day quickly became a tradition. School? Not so much. Lance  _ tried  _ to attend regularly but he knew he was getting marked down horribly.

There goes a lot of scholarship money down the drain. 

When he mentioned keith to his professor coran, however, the man was completely understanding and he got excusing notes for many classes. In college that won’t cover you when you miss a lot of curriculum though. 

Lance was a bit too smitten to care.

It was a week after their mall trip and they were walking to the bike shed again. This was their third time walking there but every time it was a new experience. It was new to be walking next to keith, hands comfortably intertwined and lance leaning slightly into his shoulder. Then keith would bicker to him about ‘at least  _ trying to  _ walk in a straight line’ instead of walking into him. But then Keith would draw the boy closer and the bickering would fade into silent smiles.

That morning they left even earlier than usual and the sun was close to coming up, but just low enough to send serene ripples of sunrise across the plains with the sky nearly as dark as night. 

“There it is.” Keith finally said as they neared the shack “want to actually ride into town today?” 

“That would be pretty-” Lance started before  he tripped over a cactus. “OW.”

“Oh-shit. Did you get pricked? Come on, lets sit down.” Lance felt heavy hands on his shoulder lifting him up (how was keith that strong??) and set him to the side. 

Keith rolled lances leg over to look at the damage.

“Ok. it just looks scuffed.”

“Owowow I’m dying. I’m actually dying. At my funeral you have to play Queen and bring cupcakes.” Lance whined. 

“Ah, damn it’s bleeding. We need to get that wrapped. Why’d you wear shorts to a motorcycle ride?” Keith grumbled. “Hold on a sec I’ll use a part of my shirt for now.”

Lance squeaked as keith pulled his flannel off and then the shirt over his head. And then screamed when keith started ripping it apart.

“Good lord! What  _ is  _ this,  _ survivor??  _ That was a perfectly good shirt!” Lance didn’t mention how keith’s bare chest was giving him extreme heart palpitations. Because it wasn’t. Definitely not. 

“I got plenty more.” Keith grunted as he took the new strips and wrapped the longer ones around lances scuffed calf. “There. Can you walk to the bike?” 

“obviously. “ Lance scoffed “and uh.. Thanks.”

“Yeah.” Keith pulled on his flannel and buttoned it up. It looked even cuter that way.

Lance indeed could walk to the shack and was extremely touched when keith helped him onto the bike and guided him to clutch even more snugly to his back.

“Hold on tight.”

“Got it.” 

Keith liked to blast out of the shacks doors, it never failed to surprise lance and it filled him with adrenaline. 

“Whoo!!!” Lance yelled out into the air, now tinted with glorious rays of morning sun. 

“We’re going into town today!” Keith shouted back.

“Lead the way cowboy!” Lance giggled “but oh shit wait- we don’t have helmets on.”

“They can’t catch us.”

Lance panicked at that thought. “Keith, they’d literally catch us, please don’t start a police chase.” 

He felt keith’s chest deflate sullenly “fineee. I’ll strap them on and we’ll put them on in town.”

The bike was swerved and they drove back to the shack, where keith strapped two random helmet into a bike rack and then affixed it all to the back of the motorcycle. 

“We should get food in town.” Lance noted to keith absently.

Keith nodded as he climbed back onto the bike, pulling lance to him and starting the engine.

Keith didn’t shoot out of the shack like a bullet that time. Instead he rolled out slowly, and the whole way to the town was.. Quiet and relaxing. They barely went fast at all, instead both soaked in the morning glory. Keith leaned into lances chest and lance took the chance to nuzzle his face into the exposed nape of the man’s neck. 

The peace was very soon broken though.

“Lance!” He heard being shouted. He realized they actually reached town, they were engulfed in the thick of squat town shops, and in it all was a very eager Lotor, waving down the two men.

“Oh. keith that’s my friend, could we swing by the say hi?” Lance felt a little bit uneasy after their last interaction but it wasn’t like Lotor actually did anything to him.

Keith looked like he was grimacing form the side but reluctantly swung by the curb and cut the engine. He then decided it was as good time as any to take out the helmets and dismounted to unattach them. Lance hopped off to greet Lotor.

“Lance! How..” Lotor seemed to pause in displeasure as he glanced at Keith, who was grumpily tearing at the straps holding the helmets in. “..pleasurable to meet you again.”

“Hi lotor!” Lance chirped. “We’re on a little journey.”

“How quaint.” 

Lotor was acting oddly. His behaviour and speech seemed somewhat stuffy, and it made lance even more uncomfortable. He cleared his throat.

“Well! We should go.”

“no! “ Lotor said quickly. “No. come each lunch with me. I’ll pay for expenses.”

Keith looked up at the man and scoffed. 

“No, thanks we won’t be bought off.” Keith snarled slightly. “Come on, Lance.”

“Oh, if it isn’t keith?” Lotor chuckled “how nice to see you. How’s your brother? the parents?”

“I’m leaving.” Keith mounted the motorcycle quickly. “Stay or come with, lance. I’m leaving either way.”

Lance was perplexed. “Do you two know each other..?”

Lotor puffed his chest out as he started talking. “Oh yes. He-” 

“Shut the fuck up, Lotor. Come on, Lance let’s go.” 

“O-ok. Bye, Lotor.” Lance climbed on after keith, gripping the flannel. 

“Bye! Don’t be a stranger. Especially you, Lance.” Lotor chirped out. His perky tone made Lance shiver. Was there bad history between the two?

Keith silently handed him his helmet- a light blue one, and slipped his own. They sped away from the sidewalk silently.

It took a couple minutes for Lance to get the courage to speak up again.

“Uhm.. Keith?” 

He realized his helmet and the wind heavily muffled his voice, and keith probably didn’t hear anything. 

But then he heard a muted grunt in response.

“uh..Are you ok??” Lance said, louder this time. 

Keith shrugged in response. And then nodded.

“Theres um- My friends- the ones you met?” Lance started. Keith nodded as if urging him to continue. “Well- theyre having a sleepover! Its with them, me, and pidge’s brother. Do you want to come?” 

At first Keith didn’t respond, but then he nodded again. 

“Ok! Well, I’ll come get you around four if you’re dropping me off now? Or you and I could..” Lance didn’t finish his sentence as he stared off over the weaving scenery of housetops. They were steadily climbing a hill, rising up above the town on a path of concrete. It was breathtaking. 

Suddenly, he heard a muffled response. “Let’s just hang out till then”

And they did.

 

___________________________

 

“Lance! It’s almost five thirty where have you been??” Pidge reprimanded when the two boys appeared at Matt’s (and shiro’s but he wasn’t going to be home- he was working on a project at a classmates dorm for the night) dorm room door. They had their hip jutted out with their hand resting on it and an exhausted look on their face. “Hunk won’t stop tickling me. I thought you would  _ save me _ but where were you?? An hour and a half la- Hunk stop tickling me!” 

Hunk had appeared behind the shorter teenager and was wiggling his finger under their armpits. Pidge started shrieking in forced glee.

“This will be my death!” Pidge wailed.

Hunk pulled the caterwauling teen to the side, laughing himself. “Come on in boys, we have popcorn and Matt’s got a movie going.” 

“Popcorn!” Lance smiled “Come on, Keith!” 

“Uh. Maybe I should just go. It’s been nice-” Keith tried backing away but hunk caught him by the shoulder. 

“No. Stay. you apologized and we accept you after you saved our child and then made him happy.” Hunk beamed “I’m making ravioli again. This time you should stay to enjoy it.”

Keith’s face bursted with a bright blush. “Ok.” 

“ok! “ Pidge yelled out “let’s get this party started!” 

“I heard party!” Matt burst from the other room, holding up three dvds “I have zombie movies!” 

“Zombies are scientifically unethical, dumbass.” Pidge chided at the taller man. Matt only laughed.

“You used to love ‘em! You prolly still do.” Matt proudly showcased his three movies. “Ok so we have choice of romantic gore, comedic gore, or just gore gore.”

“What type of movie has romantic gore? Ew.” Pidge countered.

“One based off of Romeo and Juliet.” Matt grinned.

Lance walked to the living room, the rest trailing behind him as Pidge and Matt still bickered.

“I vote comedic gore!” Lance said at a pause in their argument. 

Keith grunted, sliding next to Lance in a way that made him blush subtly. Keith looked wholly unaffected, and lance wished he could just outright hug him.

“Well I vote gore gore because how fun is that?” Matt smirked.

“Not fun at all. Hunk will kill you. He hates gore.” Pidge grimaced. “If it comes down to it I vote romantic gore or  _ another movie  _ for Hunk’s sake.”

Matt laughed “Suuuure, for hunks sake. You sap.” 

Hunk walked into the room, still holding a spatula. “We talking titles?”

“Do you like romantic, comedic, or gorey gore, hunky?” 

Hunk’s face scrunched up “there’s three categories of my least favorite genre?”

Pidge jumped onto the couch “ I TOLD you!”

“Romantic then, shouldn’t be so bad.” Hunk mused.

“And as a holy being, his vote counts for ten votes. Pop that one right in matt.” Lance said.

Matt grumbled as he opened the case for the zombie movie and they all settled down on the couch with the popcorn.

“So what’s your name? Sorry, I was distracted.” Matt looked over at Keith, who was close to Lances side. Anyone who looked at lance would see that he was crumbling a bit in his little corner of the couch, smushed against Keith.

“Keith.”

“Oh! I’m matt, Pidge’s brother. Nice to meet you.” Matt said just as the title screen flashed on the tv.

“Guysss shuttup it’s starting!” Pidge said.

“I thought you didn’t care about unethical zombies, Pidge?” 

Hunk shuffled across the room “I got the lights!”

 

Somehow during the movie, lance and keith got even closer, lance ‘s back against keith’s chest and keith’s hands resting on lance’s stomach. As cliche as it was, Lance could hardly watch the movie.

The only thing that snapped him out of gleeful  thoughts on how the two were practically snuggling was Hunks occasional squeal as a zombie popped out or pidges screeches when a plot twist came up.

Everyone seemed to be enraptured with the movie but him, and he couldn’t tell if keith was, because keith's head was above and behind him. 

He really didn’t want to risk their cuddle position by turning to look at keith.

The movie was over shortly and after they sat around the table and stuffed themselves silly with ravioli. Keith the most, surprisingly. He looked like a child on christmas, his face rosy with happiness as he chomped down on his third serving.

“Wow, man, you sure like ravioli.” Hunk chuckled as he sat down to his second serving. “First time that I’m not the one eating the most.”

“You also cook so it’s even.” Pidge pointed out.

Keith was chewing on his bite thoughtfully. “It’s my favorite.” He said when he finally swallowed.

“Ok, guys. After dinner we’re watching one more movie- maybe two. Which ones do you wanna watch?” Matt declared.

Pidge glared at the elder “Matt you literally don’t have cable and own three movies. All zombie movies.”

“Oops you caught me! What I meant was, which do you want to watch first?”

They ended up all falling asleep in the middle of the comedic gore selection.

All except Keith and Lance, still pressed together and blushing.

Lance tried waking them up by laughing at the jokes or taunting them by saying keith and he would leave them to play board games. He only got grunts or snores in response.

He was just surprised anyone could fall asleep to screaming, gunshots, and fake gore. He definitely couldn't. 

Keith and lance sat awkwardly when the credits rolled. Since everyone else slipped onto the floor with blankets and pillows, they felt truly alone on the couch. 

“Hey Keith.. You sleepy yet?” Lance whispered. He felt Keith shake his head next to him.

“Well, want to go back and forth? Yaknow- asking question?” Lance asked.

“Sure. you start.” Keith replied.

“Ok! So. what’s your favorite color?” 

“So basic.”

“That’s me.” Lance laughed quietly.

Keith laughed back “Red.”

“So basic!” Lance guffawed.

“That’s you.”

The two held each other, keith’s hands uncertain as they wrapped themselves around lance’s waist. 

“Ok. you’re turn” Lance murmured.

Keith hummed.

“I don’t know…”

“You can ask me anything.”

Keith looked contemplative.

“Why did you keep trying to be my friend? I yelled at your face and I haven’t even said sorry yet.” Keith’s voice was so low it was hard to hear.

Lance sucked in a quick breath. “You looked lonely.”

Neither of them spoke, and lance worried he’d hurt keith somehow with his observation. But when he looked over keith was smiling.

“I was.”

Lance nodded slightly. “I started to like your company too. Not it’s my turn.”

“Ok.” Keith was nudging closer into lance’s side and it made his stomach and chest bubble with something unfamiliar.

“Why do you put up with me?” Lance said it like it was a joke, and was fully expecting some snide and teasing answer in return. Something like ‘because you wouldn’t leave me alone.’

Instead he was met with keith turning fully to stare into his eyes, his lips parting slightly as he breathed out.

“Because I want to be with you.”

  
  



	9. where do we go from here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heres a gIFT!!!!!! it'll only get BETTER FROM HERE AHAHAH  
> ok so I know theres a lot of errors, typos, and such in previous chapters. I'm gonna go back (prolly after I finish this) and fix it up!

“Because I want to be with you.” 

Lance sucked in a harsh and stiff breath, and he felt like he could barely speak. His heart beat nearly out of his chest because.. He wanted to kiss keith. He wanted to do it  _ immediately.  _ They were only inches apart. Could he lean that distance and break into his space?

Would keith hate him?

But the energy just felt so.. Right.

‘Be with you’ could mean so many things. The way keith said it, it felt so romantic. It felt so intimate. 

Lance forced his mind to slow down a little. They were still surrounded by their friends. 

“Can we move to another room to talk?” Lance whispered, a little nervous.

Keith silently stood up without another word, and lance took that as a quick affirmative. 

They trailed each other quietly through the dark, the only noise being their padded footsteps and the chilled breaths, until they reached a bedroom. It was probably Matt’s but they had no way of checking because they were too busy staring at each other. They sat down on the edge of the bed in there, never breaking eye contact. Lance could see the puffs of unkempt hair in the moonlight streaming from the adjacent window, framing keith’s head like a halo.

Lance could swear he could hear Keith’s pounding heart joining the tempo of his own.

“I,” Lance felt so, so warm but he was shivering out of his mind and even his eyebrow was twitching, a nervous habit that his sibling always used to tease him about. Keith didn’t look any calmer. “I like you a lot. I know, maybe you don’t feel the same, even if you want to be close to me.. But like, why me? Why you? I can’t stay away from you.” 

Keith stared at him with understanding eyes that were filled with something.. Like liquid adoration. Lance shook that thought out of his head. There was no way.

“Why  _ wouldn’t  _ I..” keith mumbled  “you’re beautiful. And talented and artistic, and just so kind. I… I know how nice of a person you are.”

Lance appreciated the words. He wished he could believe them.

“I have low self esteem. I don’t really believe that, but I’m happy.” Lance laughed “I thought you just hated me, really. Wanted me to go away.”

“I don’t think that. I wouldn’t” Keith shook his head fiercely “I couldn’t.”

They sat there quietly, just thinking and just staring.

“But...”

“It won’t work out, will it.” Lance finally broke their eye contact, staring at the window behind him.

Keith didn’t respond, but the answer was still there. It simmered in his dark, consuming eyes.

Keith liked lance, and lance liked keith..but lance could tell something held the other back.

Maybe keith didn’t accept himself as gay?

Maybe lance, while perhaps being whatever keith claimed, just wasn’t enough?

But lance wouldn’t push this if it made keith uncomfortable.

Really what it came down to was  _ Keith didn’t want to be with him.  _ Keith liked him maybe, but that wasn’t enough.

Lance tried to understand why, he did. But it just led to more thoughts of self deprecation.

Keith reached out and took lance’s hand, and the warmth made lance shiver, and because he was already shivering it just made every part of him  _ quake  _ from his toes to his forehead. His eyebrow was spazzing and keith giggled a little when he saw it.

“It looks like you're wiggling your eyebrow at me.” Keith mockingly raised his right eyebrow.

“Maybe I AM.” He countered back defiantly. “Don’t underestimate my flirting  finesse.”

Keith stared pointedly at lances mouth. Lance nearly jumped when he saw his eyes spanning his lips.

“Your teeth are chattering.”

“It’s cold.”

It wasn’t cold. It was hell-fire hot.

Keith smirked like he knew, it was probably hot for him too.

The air was freezing but it felt like there was a heater of static between them.

“Where do we go from here?” Lance whispered, changing the topic back again. He needed to know.

He wanted to ask keith out on dates.

He wanted to be shoved against a wall and kissed passionately by the man. 

He wondered what a kiss felt like. Was it warm? Would it make fireworks blast in his mind?

Could he muster up the courage to actually kiss keith himself?

Would keith punch him?

It sounded like a very keith-like reaction.

So spaced out in his rapid-fire thoughts, he didn’t notice keith talking.

“Wait- what?”

“Oh. um.” Keith turned away a little. “I don’t think it will.”

“Work out?”

“Yeah.”

Lance felt himself deflate like a week-old balloon.

Their hands were still clasped together and the moonlight shifted to fall softly on the side of keith’s face and splayed across his cheekbones.

Lance could sense the light over his own cheeks and chin. 

It wouldn’t work out. This lance had to accept, he had to grasp this concept. But why was it so  _ hard  _ to with keith sitting so close to him? He’d never looked into anyones eyes this long. He’d never felt this kind of fascination or downright obsession with a single person in his entire life. 

Keith’s eyes were blown wide, pupils almost comically large. probably just like lances. It fascinated him how closely keith was studying lance.

It distracted him from the thought of it not working out between them.

“Your eyes are  _ so  _ dilated” Lance laughed out. 

“Yours are too.” Keith defended after a moment.

Lance stuck his tongue out playfully “I must be looking at something I like.” 

The other boy looked stricken with this, and glanced away, blushing. 

They quietly smiled to themselves for a minute.

“Can I..” Lance gulped “can I ask you something selfish?”

Lance wondered if his heart was physically trying to beat out of his chest. It wouldn’t surprise him with how fast and hard it was pressing into his lungs.

“What?” Keith breathed out.

“Nevermind.” 

“No. tell me.”

Keith shifted so close to lance that they were pressed together, legs intertwined and arms hooked. Lance felt it. This was the right time. Would it hurt to ask?

“Can I kiss you?”

When keith didn’t respond immediately lance felt the panic wash across his brain, but as he looked over, he was shocked back by the flash of movement.

Keith was leaning closer, his eyes shutting as he quickly captured lances lips with his own.

Kissing, was decidedly, nothing like lance expected.

It was warm, yes. But it was also electrifying at the same time. There was no fireworks but there was lightning. Lightning that struck all of lance’s nerves senseless. 

Keith’s lips were chapped. Lance didn’t know if he closed his eyes or not, and if so, when. Should he pucker? Should he smash a little like keith was? But the kiss was soft actually. Too soft to be real. Lance was smiling against keith’s lips, unable to stop.

They were kissing,  _ kissing  _ lance realized. And keith  _ started it. _

Sure, lance asked for it, but keith was the one who leaned forward and was then brushing a gloved hand over lances face, cupping the tall boys jaw and pulling him closer. 

It made something silently fizz in his stomach and abdomen. 

It lasted a few seconds, but it felt so fast. Too fast.

Lance wanted another.

In fact, lance never wanted it to end. 

He wanted keith to push his face back into the soft duvet beneath them, he wanted to be engulfed by the skinship of lips on lips forever.

Instead they seperated and gazed into each others eyes.

They breathed in sync together, keith's hand not moving from lances jaw.

Lance wasn’t twitching anymore but he could feel nervous excitement tremble in him.

“That was my first kiss.” Lance admitted sheepishly.

“Yeah.”

“Could you  _ tell?”  _

“I mean, sure.” Keith chuckled.

Lance felt his cheeks burst and he knew they were apple-bottom red. Without needing a mirror.

He needed to try again, to show keith he was  _ good  _ at kissing.

So that was a good enough reason to lean forward himself to kiss keith again.

Lance realized that their heads tilted together just perfectly, they were like two pieces of a puzzle, slipping into place without worry.

Need was gathering in lance’s chest. 

He’d just take it all for what he could that night. In the morning it hurt to know that they'd have to pretend nothing happened (and lance was terrible at lying so he hoped that’d go well).

So he just focused on kissing keith and keith reciprocated easily.

They fell back again seconds later, both blushing lightly.

“We won’t tell the others, I guess.” keith sighed out.

“You said there’s nothing to tell.”

“There isn’t” keith amended easily “but, like, that nothing happened.”

Lance pretended that didn’t wound him.

“Do you think they noticed us leaving?” Lance muttered.

“We talked about ditching them to hang out, or well, you did. If they saw I doubt they care.” Keith said “but we could go back.”

Alarm was exploding in lance “NO no no no! It’s fine. Let’s stay here longer.”

Because as soon as they returned this would be over. 

They leaned together easily, shoulder to shoulder.

“Can I ask you something selfish?” Keith asked after a moment. 

“Go ahead.”

“Third time’s a charm?”


	10. I drink to forget but I always remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance thought he could handle them not being together but in reality, that kinda sucks.  
> Also, I never know what to title these so I may just revert to chapter 1,2, 3 and so on!

That next morning Lance was an anxious mess.

There was a huge part of him that was swelling with glee, his heart felt full and face perpetually warm. He still felt the flush of lips against his hours later.

But then there was the  _ dread. _

That he’d  _ kissed  _ keith. That he’d  _ confessed  _ to keith.

That he’d been  _ turned down  _ by keith. (this part of him did not see the kisses as reciprocation, for it could have been pity.)

So when they snuck back into the living room and laid back down on the couch he’d turned away from keith, curled into a little ball and shivering tersely. Keith seemed to have assumed that lance was cold and he got up to retrieve a blanket. 

When Lance felt the softness being placed upon him, the gesture warmed his heart and sunk something cold into his gut.

Keith was close to his back but didn’t attempt to stick to lance as they had before.

Lance didn’t fall asleep.

 

__________________________

 

That dread didn’t leave his system for days. And that being taken into account, he started attending classes.

And effectively, avoiding Keith.

He couldn’t stand to be around someone so handsome and .. well, was there even a word that could describe Keith? How soft he was when his walls came down, how gentle his eyes became when they were in the desert, surrounded by nothing but dust and air? He’d even come to love that rough and cold part of Keith that pushed him away. Really, he was addicted to keith’s presence. 

So, obviously, it was super hard to be around him after they’d kissed, knowing they couldn’t kiss again.

He was heading to his third class of the day on a tuesday when he’d come across a familiar face. Lance deflated when he saw it was Lotor, waved excitedly  at Lance from across a swarm of students.

Lance walked across the quad to say hello to the enthusiastic man.

“Hi, Lotor.” Lance said, his voice coming out weak and wobbly. It was hard to be chipper recently, without Keith to bounce off of. 

“Oh, Lance, poor boy, you sound so sad. Why don’t you come with me?” Lotor offered his arm warmly.

Lance shrugged and took it, not one to ignore cute and romantic formalities (even if it wasn’t coming from someone he fancied)

“So.” Lotor started as they walked. Lance noticed they were heading in the exact opposite direction of his next class, but the apathy in Lance ignored it. “Want to tell me why you’re so blue?”

Lance mulled it over before deciding that he probably shouldnt spill his relationship issues to someone who obviously didn’t get along with Keith.

“My Queen cd broke.” Lance sighed out “It’s a rare edition.” 

It was true enough. When retrieving the cd from hunks toyota a few days before he’d accidentally dropped it onto the pavement. 

He figured it’d probably be fine, but when he tried to play it he discovered the skid marks from the fall completely ruined the entire album. When played, only a portion of “someone to love” would belt out in repetition.

This only made Lance sadder.

“Oh, how about I get you a new one?” Lotor quickly shot out, barely even looking at lance.

“Uh… why?” Lance replied nervously. “What do you want in return?”

When he turned, Lotor’s eyes seemed to gleam mischievously.

“I have an idea.” Lotor said.

_ Well _ . That sounded creepy.

Lance must have looked uncomfortable on ten different levels because sudden realization burst from Lotor and the man broke their connection to wave his arms anxiously.

“No NO no nO! I didn’t mean anything gross, don’t worry! I was just wondering if you wanted to go to the bar with me and my friends again.” 

Lance pondered this.

“Uh. I’d love to but being beaten up isn’t on my top list of priorities right now.” Lance laughed “Thanks, though.”

“We actually got bracelets this time.” Lotor informed him. “They’re specifically designed to hide dates and don’t budge or fall off. They’re from Tessa.”

Everyone knew Tessa. It was a brand that soley sold bracelets to hide death dates. They were a highly coveted item within crowds that hid dates from birth. There were families that didn’t want to know when their children or loved ones would die. So Tessa bracelets were created, a fabric that was soft yet sturdy and grew with the wearer, never budging unless a code was submitted. 

They were state of the art, and only snooty tooty “let’s leave death to fate” families or rich hippies owned them.

That being said, they were expensive as hell. 

“You bought a batch of Tessa bracelets for a  _ bar trip?  _ “ Lance tripped over his words.

Lotor only laughed. “Yeah. we got a nice blue one for you. Figured we should avoid what happened last time.” 

Lotor didn’t see the gravity of what he said. Tessa bracelets were so rare it astounded Lance to hear that he had one bought for him on a whim.

Lance barely  _ knew  _ this guy.

“Ok. I’ll go.” Lance said with finality. He’d be damned if he was going to ignore something as generous as that.

“Great! It’s the same gang again. We’ll be meeting in front of the bar at seven forty. Make sure to eat before you come.” Lotor smiled and let go of lance. “Our classes must be starting now! Best be off!”

Lance was left on the far side of campus, most likely fifteen minutes late already. He just trudged to his dorm and laid down on his bed.

 

Seven thirty crept up on Lance slowly. Without Keith time was slow. But it came nonetheless and Lance was already dressed and ready to go.

There was no way he’d wear shorts after that last occasion, he was too cold that night. Instead he pulled on skinny jeans and a long sleeved crop top. He brushed his hair, breathing in and out in front of the mirror.

This would  _ not  _ be like last time, he assured himself. 

When he went to leave the dorm, there was a suspicious looking hunk blocking the door with crossed arms.

“And just where are  _ you  _ going young sir?” Hunk grumbled. “That looks like bar attire.”

“I’m just going out with Keith, hunk! It’s ok!” Lance lied through his teeth.

Hunk narrowed his eyes “I can’t tell if that’s better or not.”

“What? I thought you liked him now!” Lance gasped.

“I do. I never said he was a good influence.” Hunk said wistfully “you didn’t even eat dinner, I had stuff out. You’ve just been staring at that mirror. Are you ok, Lance? You say you’re going out with Keith but I haven’t seen you with him in days.”

Hunk was too much like an observant parent. Lance pouted. “I’m fine, hunk don’t worry! Keith has been busy with bike repairs and I needed to catch up with class.”

“Really? Keith’s been mostly moping around our dorm or Pidge’s.” Hunk hummed. 

“He’s been out to do repairs too.” Lance amended. 

Hunk seemed to take that and nodded “ok. Don’t get hurt.”

When he was finally let out of the dorm he started running. If he wanted to make it to Lotor on time he had to sprint. 

The night was stiflingly cold. His breath came out as little puffs of white and he saw his fingers start to numb and redden. His torso felt cold and far too exposed but at least he didn’t wear shorts. 

Lotor, Axca, Ezor, and Zethrid were standing around, waiting for him with wide smiles.

“It’s Lance!” Ezor called out cheerfully “welcome back, buddy!”

Zethrid grinned and pounded the man’s back “a survivor.” 

Axca nodded acknowledgingly in his direction.

“Ok, so we all have our bracelets. Here Lance.” Lotor held out a soft baby blue bracelet and Lance gratefully grasped it. He noticed everyone had their own special color. Zethrid’s was a vibrant pink, Ezor’s was a rusted red, Axca’s was navy blue, and Lotors was a light purple. 

“It goes on this way.” Lotor took Lance’s wrist and wrapped the fabric around it. As soon as the two ends met it sealed without a mark and seemed to melt onto Lance’s wrist. It was the most pleasant garment that Lance had ever felt, it almost seemed to be a part of his skin. “The code is the same for all of us, 1013.”

“Is that a significant number?” Lance questioned, looking up from his bracelet. 

“Zethrid’s birthday.” Axca replied shortly. 

“I’m a winter baby.” Zethrid sniffed. “But it’s still cold as balls out here, let’s go in.”

Lance was more than a little nervous to be going right back into the bar in which he was knocked out cold in. He briefly wondered if anyone was going to recognize him. However, the whole place was flooded with faces he’d never seen in his life so he figured the bar wasn’t one visited by regulars. 

He wasn’t surprised, the first time he was in there he was decked.

The only person that he recognized from his first visit was the bartender, who of course, was high. Before college he’d never even  _ seen  _ a high person. Sure, in high school there was titterings in the hallways. 

_ Oh I smelt weed in this alley once.  _

_ I swear! The bathroom reeked of it! _

And that was about it. He hadn’t even seen weed in person. 

How this man constantly looked comically high was beyond Lance.

“Virgin!” He called out at them. “Knew you’d be back!”

“Not a virgin anymore, tots.” Axca smirked “we need some shots.”

_ Again?  _ Keith would  _ kill  _ him.  _ Hunk would kill him.  _ Actually, just about everyone Lance knew would at least be pissed.

“What! I am a virgin!” Lance squeaked out.

The group started laughing outright except for a very disgruntled Lance.

“Lance, I meant your drinks.” Axca chortled. “C’mon take a shot.”

Lance stared wearily at the little glass before him. “I don’t know, Hunk might bury me alive.” 

“You mean that tall guy?” Lotor asked seriously. “Do I need to get him off your case?”

Lance choked on spit, “Oh  _ god  _ no! He’s my buddy. He’s just concerned.”

After no response he looked down at the glass again. 

“You don’t  _ have  _ to drink it, Lance.” Ezor whispered to him as she scooted closer. “We just want you to have fun, but I can down it while they’re not looking.”

Lance was eternally grateful and suddenly it didn’t feel like peer pressure. He reached for the little cup and downed the entire bitter drink. 

“Atta boy!” Zethrid yelled and everyone else cheered including the bartender (who was apparently named tots). 

“Now let’s  _ dance!!”  _ Ezor shouted. After downing their shots everyone else shouted out again. 

Lance immediately felt just as tipsy as he had been before. But unlike last time, he no longer felt safe. The fogginess in his mind just lent some more anxiety to his overactive thoughts. Tessa bracelets would never fall off. But that guy could come back. 

But lotor seemed to sense his growing fear and steared the boy to the edge of the floor.

“Lance. Calm down. Stick close to me and no matter what I’ll protect you.” Lotor said to him seriously. 

Lance nodded. “Ok. ok! Let’s dance.”

He did. But he didn’t feel as free and weightless as he had before. He felt heavy with emotions, too many feelings to conceal in free movement. 

He couldn’t forget keith. All he could think of was keith. As he swerved and rocked and winded his way through the crowd, moving to a senseless and quaking beat, all there was was keith.  _ Keith keith keith.  _ The bass shaking the floor and rattling his insides beat in tempo to his thoughts.

_ Keith keith keith. _

Then there he was.

As gorgeous as ever, his eyes open wide and staring right at Lance, his hair askew and misshapen. He almost thought it was a vision, because what were the odds that keith would magically appear in front of him.

As he saw keith’s eyes narrow and then him stomping towards Lance to the same tempo of 

_ keith keith keith _

And the

_ Boom boom boom _

Of a technicolor beat…

He realized the chances were pretty darn high.

He gasped as he felt the familiar hand reach out to him and then Keith was pulling him to the side roughly.

“I didn’t know you were stupid enough to make this mistake  _ again.  _ “ He heard Keith grunt as he dragged him off the dance floor.

Lance, realizing this wasn’t a vision, managed to choke out a response. “I didn’t get into any trouble! And you’re here too!”

Keith ignored him and grasped his right arm again, flipping it over. His eyebrows were drawn together in anxious worry.

“Did you cover your date?” 

Lance yanked back the sleeve to reveal the light blue band covering his right wrist.

“Tessa, huh?” Keith muttered. “Whatever we’re getting out of here.”

Lance struggled to get away from the stronger man. “What? No! I just got here.” 

“Keith, how nice to see you. Stuck to lance  _ again.  _ You must love being around what you cannot have.” Lotors voice sounded from behind them. Keith tensed up considerably before slowly swiveling with lance still in his grasp to stare down the tall man.

“Lance shouldn’t be here, lotor.” Keith snarled out.

“Oh? Protective are we? He’s fine. We were protecting him. Plus he has a wonderfully long life, let him enjoy it. You don’t need to sour everyone’s happiness with your presence.” Lotor responded in just as harsh a tone. Lance couldn't fully hear him, and he was too taken at staring at keith’s face in surprise. 

Keith, in turn, completely ignored the man as he dragged lance right out the front entrance. Lance was flailing wildly but Keith was far too strong. 

Soon they were out in the bitter cold of the street. The night was incredibly clear, stars twinkling pleasantly over the stretch of gray buildings and the sky wide and dark. 

Lance was too surprised to enjoy it.

“Why are you doing this?” Lance said, trying to get away in vain again. Keith just kept walking with him in tow.

When he didn’t get an answer Lance groaned.

“I can’t stand being around you Keith!” Lance blurted. This made keith finally stop, stricken to the spot. 

“What?”

“I like you too much! But it won’t work out! So just..” Lance felt wetness gather in his eyes. 

“So just..” Lance repeated weakly.

And then he ran.


	11. date me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith knows it won't work out but lance is pretty cute so what other option does he have, amiright

“Lance, Keith is at the door again.” 

Lance was locked up in his bedroom, wrapped up within his duvet, crop top and jeans still clinging to his cold body.

When he had returned Hunk had been a mixture of furious and concerned. That was understandable, he’d stumbled in with tears running down his face and he knew he just reeked of alcohol and sweat.

As soon as he locked himself within his room though, Hunk was nothing but understanding and soothing. He’d cooed at Lance through the door, persuading him to sleep, telling him about Pidge and their newfound technological streak. 

He’d almost let Hunk in, just to hug him.

But there was  _ no way  _ Keith was gonna be coming in.

“No.” Lance grunted.

Hunk didn’t need to respond, he just walked away softly.

Then he heard the padded footsteps return. 

“He’s refusing to leave, he’s pounding on it.” As if on que Lance heard muffled thuds across the dorm.

“Tell him these words exactly, Hunk.” Lance said through the door.

“Ok..”

“ ‘fuck. Off.’ “

Lance half said that as a joke. He didnt swear often and while he was mad at keith a little, it wasn’t enough to swear him out. He was mostly heartbroken. A little let down.

But hunk just walked away. Surprised, Lance shuffled to the door and smashed his ear against it. He could clearly hear the door being opened.

“Hunk! Hunk I-” He heard Keith start. He sounded somewhat.. Frantic?

“Fuck. Off.” He heard hunk say before the door was closed again.

Lance collapsed into giggles before unlocking his own and swinging it open.

“Hunk! You actually said it?” Lance said.

“Of course. He hurt you didn’t he?” Hunk replied as he swept across the dorm. In no time at all Hunk had engulfed Lance in a warm hug. Lance sighed into the welcome embrace.

“It actually may be the opposite.” Lance replied sadly. When Hunk nodded, Lance sprung away to stare at him “you knew?”

“You stare at that boy like the stars are in his eyes.” Hunk laughed “and he looks at you the same. We’d be blind if we didn’t know.”

“You say we…” Lance said “wait! He looks at me the same?” 

“Yeah. You guys sure got close huh?” Hunk smiled fondly. “Go out there at some point, when you feel better, and kiss him.”

“I can’t.” Lance groaned “he turned me down.”

“How?” Hunk said with clear shock on his face “I didn’t see that coming.”

“Honestly? Me neither.” Lance wandered back to his room, hunk on his heels, and collapsed back on his bed. “The moment felt so right.”

Hunk sat down next to him and engulfed him in another warm embrace.

“I’d say today is an emergency.” Hunk said after a moment, reaching into his pocket to grasp his phone.

“Huh?”

“One moment.”

Hunk separated from lance and started typing on his phone. After a moment of two Lance didn’t even need to ask what he was doing. Pidge was bursting through the door, panting and yelling incoherently.

“Pidge…?” Lance said, amused “I thought the door was locked..”

“Pidge has their own key.” Hunk replied.

That made sense, pidge was practically a roommate. Lance briefly wondered if Keith was lonely in his own dorm, but he guessed that was what Keith asked for at the beginning.

“EMERGENCY DAY.” Pidge managed to garble out between the weird yelling, diving at Lance’s stomach for a hug.

“OOF.”

Pidge latched on, wrapping their legs around him and squeezing tightly “why is lance sad??” 

Hunk chortled “well-”

“No wait. Let me guess.”Pidge surmised, head rising from lance’s stomach “Is this about mr. grumpy outside who glared at me when I let myself in?”

“Bing bing bing.” Lance said flatly. “Now what is emergency day?” 

Hunk joined in on the hug by wrapping his comforting arms around both of them. Lance ended up leaning against hunk’s chest with pidge resting on his own and still squeezing him tightly and hunks hands holding them all together. He was grateful for the affection, without all his siblings it’d be hard to feel better without some hugs.

“It’s when one of us is sad.” Hunk said “and today is lance day so it’s time to make you happy.”

“And it’s an  _ emergency  _ so it excuses me from my evening class today.” Pidge piped in.

“I don’t think that’s how it works-” Hunk started but pidge glared up at him. 

“Shutttuuuup. It’s lance day.”

Pidge and lance laughed together, hunk shaking his head disapprovingly above them.

“Ok. what are we doing?” Lance said.

“How about a nap first?” Hunk yawned “neither of us slept last night.”

“I’m always ready to sleep.” Pidge said, already dozing.

“Then we’ll play video games and go out..” Pidge mumbled. 

The three fell asleep quickly, all held safely in each other’s embrace.

__________________

 

The nap lasted a few hours but of course the first thing that woke lance up was pounding.

Keith must’ve been at the door again because it was too loud to be a normal visitor.

Drowsily, lance separated himself from the clutches of his friends. He was more than surprised that neither woke  up when he parted from the lance-sandwich.

The thudding on the door never rested as he dragged himself to the door.

“Stooppp.. I’m coming..” Lance muttered. Keith must’ve heard him because the knocking stopped abruptly.

It wasn’t much of a shock to him to see keith standing there when he unlocked the door and swung it open.

“Yo.”

“yo- ? lance!” Keith half shouted.

Lance hurriedly shushed him, bringing his pointer finger to his lips for emphasis. “Be quiet, Hunk and pidge are sleeping.” 

“Lance what’d-’’ Keith started again, this time whispering.

“Let’s  go outside.”

Lance turned inside to grab a jacket because it was a early and cold day so far.

Keith joined him on his right, the two walking without a word down the hallway.

He looked like he wanted to say something a few moments, but every time he’d purse his lips tightly and look away.

Lance was the first to speak.

“I’m sorry.” He said lowly, turning away from Keith. “That I had  hunk say fuck off, I wasn’t that angry.”

“It’s fine.”

“And that I ran away.”

“It’s..” Keith sighed “Why did you? Why have you been avoiding me?”

They reached the front doors and the foggy morning air wrapped around them as they stepped out. Lance took a moment to respond.

“Lets go to the pool tree, it’s close.” Lance finally said.

Keith nodded.

And then he took lance’s hand.

Was this boy  _ that  _ stupid? Something hot in Lance’s chest was shrieking and he hardly knew how to handle it. Keith just clasped their hands even tighter, looking away as they walked.

When they reached the tree lance jerked his hand away. Keith looked pretty stricken.

“This is why!” Lance huffed “Because I confessed to you and we kissed and I can’t just get over it. I can’t just be your secret.”

“Lance..”

“I wanted to respect you so I didn’t ask why it wouldn’t work out but… why, keith? I like you and.. Wait do you not like me?” Lance backed up against the tree, shaking his head.

“No, no lance, of course I like you!” Keith said, his voice fast and tense.

“But.. do you like like me?” lance mumbled.

This made Keith laugh “what is this, grade school?”

“Keith, I’m being serious!” Lance shouted out.

Keith looked away, his face suddenly looking gaunt and tired. Even his eyes looked more sunken than usual. Lance didn’t know why but the way he was looking away was slightly haunting. 

“Lance..” 

Lance didn’t like where this was going.

“I get it, it’s ok. You don’t want to date me you just wanted a kiss..” Lance whispered “It’s fine, really.”

“No, lance listen.” Keith interjected “I do like you. I might even love you.”

_ Love? _ Lance’s head whipped up, his eyes large and startled

“What? Then, then why?” 

Keith looked hesitant to answer, he was fidgeting horribly, pulling his gloves and averting his eyes. Even his feet were tapping.

When keith spoke it sounded uncertain “Because it’s me, you know..? I wouldn’t be a good boyfriend, it wouldn’t last.” Keith’s voice broke near the end 

“It would! You would!” Lance replied hopefully.

“You don’t know that!”

“I do!”

“How can you-”

“Because you’re beautiful keith!” Lance yelled. This stopped Keith mid sentence “you’re beautiful inside and out and I want to date you! If it doesn’t work, it just doesn’t but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.”

The two stared at each other, keith looking perplexed. Lance just felt like sobbing and curling back up with hunk and pidge. He turned away slightly, ready for rejection.

“Ok.” Keith suddenly blurted. Lance froze.

“O- ok?” 

“Let’s..” Keith gulped “let’s date.”

Lance blinked, his eyes swelling with sudden wetness. Were tears coming? He tried to blink them back but they just poured out anyways.

“You- you’d date me?” Lance garbled out. “After all that?”

Keith nodded, taking Lanced face between his palms and pressing a chaste kiss to each cheek. 

Lance was the one to burst forward and connect their lips once and for all.

They were just as soft as before, if not less chapped, and lance felt all the dread, all that pain and anxiousness from the previous week, simply falling away. His torso felt so light that a giddy giggle burst through from his lips mid kiss.

Keith broke their connection and leaned back to observe Lance, his eyes sincere and somewhat pained.

“Jesus do you have to be so fucking cute?” Keith murmured, drawing Lance’s waist so close to his own that there was no gap. Now there was nothing separating them except for their breaths. Even their feet were tangled together.

“You’re the cute one.” Lance choked out. 

They kissed again, then again, and three times before keith broke it once more and just stared into lance’s eyes. 

Lance was so full of joy he could hardly process anything.

But he knew that something in Keith’s face looked absolutely devastated. 


	12. dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a first date how exciting! sorry this took me awhile, the next updates shouldnt take as long! Thank you so much, everyone, for the comments and the kudos I really appreciate it! It really encourages me to write more when I see people enjoy my little story <3 enjoy!

 

When Lance was a child he’d gotten lost quite often, especially when he was living in  San Francisco. He’d trail into the seemingly endless park near his apartment and run amongst the trees, pretending the man-made paths weren’t there for the sake of adventure. Lance never minded being lost, in fact he was addicted to the dizzying rush of isolation. He  loved not being able to tell left from right, north from south, and he’d run amongst the shrubs in an effort to be alone to the boundless possibilities in his imagination. 

That’s when he first saw Keith. 

It was a summer before first grade and Lance was lost. That was nothing new. This time though he was a pirate, stranded form his ship and sprinting his way to freedom, twirling around trees in his falsified panic and darting beneath the shading overhangs. He rarely saw people so deep in the park and so early in the morning, so it was easier to immerse himself in fantasies. 

But that morning he saw a boy, hunched over and sobbing in the middle of a clearing.

He hated when he found his way back into a familiar path, but there lance was standing the the center of that clearing he knew was only a few feet from the street, and he was just mystified at seeing this boy.

He was wearing a simple black t-shirt and crisp looking cargo pants, several sizes to big. His hair was wild and untamed, puffing out like a black cloud on his pale body. 

“Hello?” Lance tried out. The boy flinched and tightened his skinny arms around himself. 

“Are you hurt?” Lance walked closer to the boy “mama said that the best thing to do is kiss the booboo.” 

“Boo..boo?” The boy glanced up, his dark eyes dripping like melting chocolate. 

“Yeah! Your hurty!” 

But the boy looked down again and drew in on himself. 

“Everything hurts.”

“Thats a lot of kisses.” Lance commented simply. He then plopped down by the boys side, shoulder to shoulder.

The two sat there in quiet peace before the other boy moved to get up, he was staggering slightly like he wasn’t used to his own knees and his frame was too small to be supporting him.

Lance stayed sitting, looking up in curiosity at the skittish little boy about his age.

“Why?” Lance asked simply. The boy froze.

At first he didn’t respond. He just swayed on his feet and looked off into the towering trees.

“I don’t like my clothes. They’re too dark.” he admitted. His voice was so low that lance wondered if he was ashamed to say it. The little boy flushed before trying to run away, his short legs already in position to sprint. But lance darted up just as quickly and grasped his little wrist. Wide, surprised and liquid dark eyes blinked up at him owlishly. 

“If it means anything, black looks good on you.”

Keith smiled softly. Then he sprinted out of the clearing to the street.

Lance didn’t move for an hour after keith ran away.

Lance had been slightly surprised when he met keith and realized where he was from, because sure, that experience was more than slightly foggy for him.. But it was still something he remembered. As was seeing keith walk to school across the street every day for years after. 

It was enough to make him wonder if that was actually  _ Keith  _ back then. 

But he didn’t  worry about it because he had keith  _ now.  _

And it was hard to grasp that they were actually dating.

At first his only goal was to get  _ closer, closer closer,  _ with the attractive boy. To kiss him more and  _ more.  _ And get him to like lance  _ back  _ damnit because a crush that hard and that sudden was more than exhausting.

Now he got what he wanted, he was allowed to kiss keith whenever he wanted and hold him and take him out on dates.

He didn’t know exactly what to do with this information.

“So you’re saying that he said he loved you.” Pidge repeated, looking at lance with wide, excited eyes. “And then he kissed you and said he’d date you?? Score dude! Why’re you upset?”

“I’m not upset!” Lance shook his head “it’s just that something feels off.”

“Like he’s hiding something.” Hunk finished for him.

“Of course he’s not hiding anything!” Lance squealed “what would he even hide, anyways? A secret girlfriend? Oh god, is he not gay??”

Pidge knocked his head with their fist “he confessed, you dolt, of course he’s gay. And that guy’s too much of a loner to do that.”

“Then what is off?” Hunk asked.

Lance thought about it. How they’d kissed under the tree and had laid down on the grass, shoulder to shoulder, and just stared into the clouds. It felt alot like when lance first met keith and maybe that’s what brought that memory back up again. And some doubt.

“He just.. I mean he didn’t want to be with me in the first place.” Lance answered lamely.

“Of course he does.” Pidge quipped “give the boy a chance he’s just socially incapacitated.” 

Lance guffawed and hunk patted his back reassuringly. 

“Oh god I love how you ’re  right.” 

“Yeah, I’m always right. Go get changed.” Pidge said.

“Wait why?” lance said and then shrieked when pidge stole his phone from the bedside table “wait what? Pidge what’re you- how do you know my  _ password  _ ?”

Pidge then proceeded to type as lance lunged at them.

“Done. get ready for a date.” Pidge dropped the phone on the bed and trotted away “he’ll come by in an hour.” 

“Pidge what the- hunk back me up what the hell??”

“They just scored you a date, man. With your boyfriend! So enjoy it!” hunk laughed, exiting after pidge.

Alone suddenly, Lance scooped up his phone and stared in horror at the open chat. He didn’t even have keith’s phone number, but there it was at the top  of the window, the numbers sitting there without a nickname and the unanswered and unread chat bubble that pidge sent hovering beneath it, (a ludicrous “pick me up at three honey buns” that he heavily resented.)

He was honestly surprised keith even had a phone number and that Pidge somehow knew it by heart. It never occurred to him to ask for it in the first place.

His phone suddenly buzzed and he stared at the screen, wide eyed at the responding text keith sent.

 

**(623)808849X:** Lance?

 

Lance scramble to click on the keyboard, eyes wide and heart beating. He stopped when he saw the typing symbol, though.

 

**(623)808849X:** I’ll be there.

**Me:** sorry! Pidge sent that. Its lance now.

 

Lance finally typed back. He was warmed by the thought of keith being eager to come pick lance up, even without explanation, but figured keith deserved one.

He tapped the number and added him as a contact.

 

**Keefer:** Oh, so I shouldn’t come?

**Me:** no! Please come!

 

Oh, darn, that was a little too enthusiastic. Lance whacked his own forehead with his phone,

 

**Keefer:** k

 

Very excited all of a sudden, lance stood up on the bed and hopped around. This feeling was something he’d only ever imagined. The lightness in his chest, the ease in his heart. This.. feeling of joy, the feeling of love, was something so airy but heavy at the same time. He’d already felt it tearing him down like a ton of bricks but he never knew it could make him feel this free.

Sitting back down he opened a chat with Pidge.

Pidge had entered theirs and hunk’s phone number a while ago but he rarely used his phone after buying it recently so he’d never used it.

 

**Me:** wth pidge

**Best person you’ll ever know:** who? Me?

**Me:** how do you even know his #???

**Best person you’ll ever know:** Relaaax, he didn’t give it to me. He left his phone out. He always left it near the couch. He never touches it, usually. Did he text you back?

**Me:** he did

 

Lance changed pidge’s nickname too.

 

**Gremlin from hell:** then thank me! First date only a day after? Score.

**Me:** yeah, thanks actually.

 

He saw them start to type back but dropped the phone when he heard a loud knocking at the door.

“Coming!” He said. It was 1:30 so it couldn’t be Keith, but his heart swelled thinking about him anyways.

When he opened the door he was surprised to see shiro, smiling down at him with his hands on his hips.

“Lance!”

“Shiro!” Lance grinned, moving backwards so to let him in, “come on in. what’re you here for?” 

“Thanks lance” Shiro dropped his hands from his hips and entered 

Lance lead him to the couch and the sat comfortably, albeit awkwardly a few feet apart. Although Lance thought this man was a genius he didn’t exactly know him that well yet… and a stiff interaction like this one was something lance hoped he could avoid in the future.

Shiro cleared his throat “uh, so, lance. Matt sent me over as a messenger boy.” 

Lance nodded, turning more towards him “ok, whatsup?”

“He’s having a barbeque. He wanted you and your friend to come over. Is your friend here?” Shiro asked. He seemed pretty hesitant, as if worried he was stepping on a landmine. Lance truly could not tell what shiro was thinking at all, and why he was regarding such a light and easy topic with a heavy and uncertain tone. 

“No, sorry, he’s coming over later though. When does the barbeque start?” Lance said.

“Ok.” shiro sighed, “the barbeque is at seven in the park. You know the one to the far south of campus? We found a picnic table and grill there. Do you like hamburgers?”

Lance nodded eagerly “great! I’ll be there.” 

“And your friend..?” Shiro wavered. Lance glanced at him, utterly confused.

“Uh, yeah, probably.”

“Ok, see you later!” Shiro said, getting up from the couch with his hands clasped together. He looked pretty nervous, for reasons Lance couldn’t fathom. 

“See you.” Lance echoed back as he waved shiro out the door.

Shiro waved before shutting it behind him.

Weird.

Lance sighed and started  walking to his room but not even a minute later there was another knock.

Lance plodded over to the door, sighing exasperatedly “Hunk the key-” He started as he swung the door open. But he stopped himself and blinked when he saw who it was.

“Keith?” Lance squeaked out “It’s not even two yet!” 

Keith’s smirk was bold on his face and Lance saw a dimple on the left side he’d never noticed before.  _ Oh no.  _ he wanted to  _ kiss  _ it.

Was that weird on a first date? They already kissed like…

He tried tallying up how many times but it was hopeless.

“I was just across the hall” Keith shrugged “sorry if I interrupted something.”

“Oh you know, it’s just the usual. Demonic rituals and such.” Lance jested, leaning back and gesturing Keith in. 

Keith laughed lightly, entering the dorm with his hands tucked into his jean pockets. 

“What’d you want to do?” Keith said.

“I um-” Lance chuckled nervously “honestly I don’t know. Pidge was the one who texted you.. They wanted us to go on a date.” 

The word date, said to keith himself, felt magical. It was a word that felt like a altoid in a bottle of soda. His heart fizzed.

Keith didn’t seem as affected,but lance figured that was normal. Lance was probably the only one who was excited and enthusiastic about all this. 

“We could go to the bike again?” Keith said, his face twisting a little “I don’t know much about dates.”

“Uhh.. me neither.”

The two let the silence hang awkwardly, lance still next to the door and keith on the couch.

Then the two opened their mouths and blurted “how about lunch?” at the same time.

Lance beamed.

“Sounds perfect.” Keith laughed out.

 

_______________________

The lunch place they picked, a little coffee shop that reminded Lance vaguely of “the hobbit”, was pretty crowded. There were people packed into every little corner, surrounded round little tables and chatting loudly amongst themselves. The only open seats were outside, but with the beautiful weather that seemed completely perfect.

Keith ordered a plain croissant with a black coffee and lance settled with a caramel latte and a cookie, and then they sat at the cozy shaded table under the front overhangs of the shop.

Lance almost didn’t know what to do for a god few minutes. Should he be talking or acting differently now that he was dating keith? Was there rules for this sort of thing?

Most of all Lance really just didn’t want to fuck this up. He really liked Keith. 

Lance looked out into the street, pretending to be captured by the midday traffic of pedestrians, but really he was so shy that he couldn’t look keith in the eyes. God, when was the last time that happened? Lance was generally a very outgoing and loud person. Being shy wasn’t his  _ thing.  _

A minute later keith cleared his throat.

“Are you sure you want to date me?” Keith said. 

Startled, lance whipped his head back to finally look into keith’s eyes. He looked distressed and every feature of his face, from the crinkle of worry next to his eyes and the downset of his lips, screamed vulnerability.

Well, lance was already messing this up.

Great.

“No, no! I mean yes! I do!” Lance coughed “this is just my first date.”

Keith’s expression immediately brightened and even though he wasn’t smiling, lance could feel contentedness.

“Mine too. But let’s just think of those other days as dates, that’d make it easier right?”

“You mean like the fun times days?”

Keith nodded as he took a large bite from his croissant.

“I can do that.” Lance said around a wide smile. And that’s when it struck him. This was  _ Keith.  _ Antisocial and fiery keith, not some random blind date or something. He didn’t have to change himself for someone who he knew wouldn't judge him. Endowed with new confidence, lance leaned forward on the table and looked into Keith’s eyes mischievously  “so tell me about yourself, keefer?”

“Kefir? Like the yogurt drink?” Keith leaned forward as well.

“Yeah, what’s your story.”

Keith hesitated before answering “well, um. I can’t think of anything important.”

“Ok, do you have any siblings?” 

Keith fidgeted “a brother, but we don’t talk much. You?”

Lance nodded “well, I have four siblings.”

Mid sip, keith choked on his bitter drink, having to pound a fist on his chest to stop the gasping. 

“ _ Four.”  _

“Five with me!” Lance chirped “they’re a rowdy bunch, you would love them.”

“Ew, children.” Keith said, the hint of a joke lilting in his voice. The two laughed over their drinks with each other.

“Well there’s Veronica, she’s thirteen, Alex who’s five, Sam who’s sixteen- he’s a butthead, and Lena. She’s the baby, she’s only a year old.” 

Keith listened as lance kept rambling about his siblings. And lance felt bad about talking so much but really at his home there was so much going on. There were so many stories that Lance wanted to share with keith. He was urged on by the fond expression that keith was displaying.

“So you all speak spanish?” Keith interjected at one point. Lance nodded happily.

“Yeah! But you wanna know something silly?” Lance spoke excitedly “my sister, a hundred and ten percent fluent in both english and spanish chose  _ french  _ of all languages for school.”

Keith’s face morphed into confusion “what’s the point of that?”

“I know right?? She could be getting straight A’s in spanish!” Lance sighed, setting down his empty cup. “But I respect her, she has dreams.”

“Like what?” Keith said. At the word dreams keith looked a little distant, and morose. Lance wondered if Keith had any dreams.

“She wants to go to Paris.” He chuckled “be the  mujer de moda.”

After a moment of confusion from keith Lance corrected himself “fashionable woman.”

“That’s not so bad, right?” Keith asked.

“Well, mama’s having a fit. Veronica doesn’t have the means to go to Paris and she wants to go for high school.” Lance shook his head “she’s so stubborn though.”

“What about you?” Keith asked silently. 

Lance tilted his head slightly in inquiry.

“What do you want to do?” He asked. Somehow that question sounded more serious and heavy than lance had been expecting.

Settling his head into his palm, lance gazed back onto the street.

“I don’t know yet.” Lance said.

Keith nodded, looking in the same direction.

“Me too.”

 


	13. an evening barbeque

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys whatsup?? it's real cold and rainy where I am oml, I'm so glad fuzzy blankets exist.  
> So I have almost everything about this fic already either noted or imagined so I am READY for this. Head canon tho- axca's an emotional drunk.   
> Not a ton of keith in this chapter but next chapter will have a lot of the boi.   
> Hope you enjoy!

“Yep~ guess who’s not single.” Lance was on the phone, his body splayed across his bed and phone smashed against his ear. Through the receiver he heard the boisterous noises of his home- the chittering of his siblings in the back, the ever-playing mickey mouse movie blasting from the living room, and god knows what else causing all the other racket. 

“p-pas moy- een! Moy- no wait- mais vous êtes une laitue laide!” Veronica’s eager and stuttering voice came across the line. She still wasn’t very good at french but she loved to hurl really odd insults lance’s way, just to annoy him.

“I know  _ two  _ languages, ‘ronica, pick one.” Lance sighed 

Veronica laughed on her side “fine, but in case you’re wondering what I said-”

“I’m  _ not!  _ I bet you called me a gross donkey again or something.” Lance interrupted.

“Actually it was ugly lettuce this time.” Lance heard Sam chirp from the line, a little further away. “She loves that one recently.”

“Ok you guys” Lance chuckled warmly “where’s mama?”

“She went out with Lena, she needs another shot.” Sam said, having obviously stolen the phone from Veronica- who let out a faint indignant huff.

“Did she get sick again?” 

“Nah, she just missed one last year.” Same answered “don’t worry about it. She’ll probably call you back later. What was this about not being single?”

Lance beamed, remembering why he called his siblings again.

“I got a  _ hot  _ boyfriend!” Lance said loudly.

Sam laughed at him.

“I’m not joking!” Lance said. 

The two siblings tittered happily to each other and then to lance, asking him many questions about Keith. Lance answered them with gusto and reveled in the awed reactions from his siblings.

“We demand you bring him home.” Veronica said authoritatively.

“I just might!” Lance answered “but oh- sorry I gotta go there’s a barbeque.”

“Woah, college life.” Sam said.

“Yep, I’m old and cool now.” 

Veronica just snorted.

“Ok, well see you hermano! Remember to call mama later, she has plans for christmas to talk about.”

“It’s still technically  _ summer.”  _ Lance groaned.

“You know she likes to talk about it!” Same said.

He was right, mama loved to plan things in advance. Lance still thought that nearly four months was overkill though. 

“Ok” Lance grumbled “but I’d still like to point out we do the same thing every year.”

“Except you’ll be coming from far away this time!” Veronica paused as a muffled thump and talking resounded from behind her. “That’s her actually, want to talk?”

“Aaah, ‘ronica I still gotta go!” 

“Ok, oh!” he heard the talking again. “She said you’ll be coming for thanksgiving too”

“I look forward to it.” Lance smiled.

Lance hung up the phone, sighing as he leaned back into the covers of his bed. He didn’t know if he actually wanted to go to the barbeque, considering that Keith couldn’t come.

He’d asked him at the end of his date but keith sadly told him he’d planned an appointment to ride out of town and pick up a part for his bike. Th then walked to the bike and had cruised around until Keith had dropped him off, directly before seven. 

He didn’t have anything to eat in the dorm without Hunk, however, so figuring eating a grilled patty was better than sulking in his room he pulled on a cozy sweater and stepped into the hall.

“Oh, Lance.” 

Lance bristled at the voice. Of course he’d run into Lotor immediately. 

“Uh, Hi lotor.” Lance chuckled weakly. How does one act after an encounter like last time? Lotor had done nothing to him personally, in fact he’d been nothing but nice, but He and keith  _ obviously  _ didn’t get along. And that was a tame description of their relation. As a caring boyfriend Lance was inclined to take Keith’s side, but he was still pretty confused.

“Hi, are you heading to the barbeque?” Lotor asked, his smile warm and inviting. Lance  _ really  _ wanted to know how to act. Was he supposed to ignore Lotor? 

Lance took a deep breath and just decided to act naturally.

“Uh, yeah! You know about it?” Lance asked, pulling his jacket closer to himself as he started walking. Lotor walked next to him.

“Yeah. The girls and I are, Axca and Zethrid at least. Zethrid’s friends with Shay- you know her?” Lotor said nonchalantly. Lance wondered how he could be so casual after their last time talking.

“Actually I don’t, sorry” Lance laughed weakly.

“She has a huge crush on that friend of yours- the big fellow.” Lotor’s voice lowered theatrically and Lance felt himself stiffen.

“His name’s Hunk, please don’t call him that.” Lance said.

“Oh right-! Sorry if you find that offensive! He’s just very built and tall.” Lotors said cheerily. Lance relaxed, he’d thought the man was calling Hunk fat and he’d been just about ready to hate Lotor as much as keith did. 

“He  _ is.”  _ Lance gushed. “He could probably bench press me.”

“No doubt.” Lotor responded with a grin.

They walked to the park happily, finally settling into a pleasant mood. 

When they got to the aforementioned grill, shiro, matt, pidge, hunk, zethrid, and a girl he didn’t recognize was already there.

“Hi everyone!” Lance called out. 

Shiro stiffened, facing the grill and away from him. Lance wondered why he looked so tense.

“Yo bro!” Matt called. 

“Heyy” Pidge answered. 

Hunk just waved and smiled around his burger. The girl he didn’t recognize- most likely shay- was  perched next to him on the bench, happily making her own burger.

“You two are slow so we started eating” Zethrid grunted “where’s Axca?” 

“She’s on her way.” lotor answered.

Then Shiro turned around. He’d looked like he was holding in a tense breath and when he saw lotor he let it out in a shocked manner.

“Lotor?” Shiro asked “is that you?” 

Lotor smiled at shiro.

“Takashi! Of all coincidences!” Lotor said happily, walking over to pat Shiro’s shoulder.

“So.. you’re the friend of Lance?” Shiro asked, his voice lower than usual. Lance was so  _ done  _ with being so confused, so he sighed and made his way over to Hunk.

“I am! We met at the bar.” Lotor replied. 

“Well it’s nice seeing you again. For some reason I thought Lance’s friend had a different name- Hot dog or hamburger?” Shiro finally let out a small smile. Lotor reciprocated.

“Hot dog.”

“How about you, Lance?” Shiro called over his shoulder. Lance, who was sitting at the table, answered back swiftly.

“A hamburger, sir!”  

Shiro nodded, turning to the grill without another word.

“Is shiro ok?” Pidge asked, mouth full of hot dog. Mustard was dribbling past their lips and landed on the wooden table in glops.

“He should be..” Matt said listlessly as he wiped pidge’s face with a napkin, “he just spaces out sometimes.” 

“Lance! This is Shay,” Hunk motioned towards the girl next to him. She had beautiful and long brown hair and pleasant, kindly definitions to her round face. She stuck out her hand and Lance took it happily.

“Hey, Shay.” Lance greeted “it’s nice to meet you.”

“You too!” She echoed 

“Okay!” Shiro interrupted “we have a second hot dog for pidge, two hamburgers for matt and lance, a hamburger  _ and  _ a hot dog for Zethrid, a hot dog for Lotor and… who is this hamburger for?” 

“I already have mine,” Hunk said 

“Me too.” Shay put in.

“Isn’t it for you, buddy?” matt laughed. Shiro looked like he snapped into consciousness. 

“oh, yeah!” Shiro looked a bit dazed and everyone around him laughed. Pidge tilted their head at matt in a concerned manner.

“Uh, shiro are you ok?” Matt said finally. 

Everyone paused to listen to shiro’s reply.  

“I well- you see- my brother..” Before Shiro could continue a  loudly whooping across the park caught everyone’s attention. Axca was racing toward them, two bottles of- whiskey? Lance thought it was whiskey. It looked like hard alcohol- gripped in either hand. She looked drunk off her mind. 

“Heyy” she said when she reached the table. 

“Axca, we haven’t even eaten yet, why are you drunk already?” Lotor pretended to look upset. 

Zethrid was just outright laughing, occasionally pounding her fist on the table. “Thatta girl- drunk before eight!” 

Hunk, obviously not used to being around drunk people, fidgeting nervously on the picnic bench as Axca plopped next to him. 

“Uhhh, Axe- Axe-a?” Shiro tried, already picking up his spatula again.

“Axcaaa” She slurred 

“Okay, Axe-a what would you like?” Shiro asked, motioning towards a plate of meat.

Axca blinked, her eyelids looking heavy. “You.”

Everyone but lotor and Zethrid (still laughing) choked.

“Sorry she’s rather silly when she’s drunk.” Lotor joined in on the laughing and Zethrid looked like she was gonna die from lack of breathing.

“Axca, did you forget that you’re gay as fuck?” Zethrid managed to prod at the wasted girl. Axca gasped theatrically.

“Who  _ told  _ you” She stage whispered.

“You did.” Shay said back.

“Oh yeaah..” Axca laid her head on the table. “So.. sleep..”

“Did you want meat?” Shiro tried. At this Axca’s head whipped up and she gasped again at shiro.

“But I’m  _ gay.”  _ Axca said, sounded scandalized.

Lance couldn’t help it, he started hollering in laughter, collapsing into Pidge’s side (who was also losing their shit). 

Soon the whole table was laughing, save a shocked Shiro and a confused Hunk.

Hunk,  who didn’t get the context, looked between all of of them as if trying to get an answer.

“Do you want  _ food?”  _ Shiro said helplessly. Axca nodded numbly at the plate.

“She likes hamburgers but don’t give her anything but a bun and ketchup with it.” Lotor supplied.

“Why are you drunk again?” Shay said gently to the now somberly drunk girl. “Did something happen?”

Axca surprised everyone with sudden tears. This was a very  _ very  _ stark contrast of behavior from the usually stoic (and sometimes even aggressive) sober Axca. Lotor  _ had  _ mentioned her being more fun with alcohol. Lance now knew this meant more emotional.

But everyone had their ways of venting emotion.

“My professor is a  _ dick.”  _ She wheezed out “what an  _ icky dicky.  _ He’s a  _ fucknut.  _ A gross little-”

“Okaaay, Axca let’s get this conversation g-rated again.” Shay interrupted “you mean the psychology one?”

“Yeah.” she seemed to be sobering up a little, rubbing her eyes tiredly “he gave me a zero on my term paper.”

Zethrid grunted unhappily and everyone else moaned in sympathy. That had to  _ hurt  _ her gpa. Not to mention her pride, term papers took forever.

“You guys are already doing those?” Hunk put in. Axca shook her head.

“No we’re getting our grades back from our last semester. He runs a summer class- whatever. Apparently I failed because of that paper and I spent months of my summer  _ just  _ so I wouldn’t have to do a full year now.” Axca groaned “and y’all wanna know  _ why?” _

Everyone looked at her curiously.

“I didn’t indent a footnote.”

Lance didn’t even know how to react. He also had psychology and his teacher was extremely strict, he’d have to watch for his term paper’s grammatical-correctness. 

“No  _ way.”  _ Shiro gasped. Even he was shocked. “That guy did that to me too.”

“Really?” Axca’s eye shined “I’m just..ugh..”

“Drink up girl” Zethrid pushed the hamburger towards her and one of the discarded whiskey bottles. Axca gladly uncorked it and tipped it back.

After that zethrid had a little herself, lance didn’t waste an opportunity to miss out on drunken fun (even if hunk glared at him when he took some swigs), and somehow pidge got a hold of one. Soon the table was full of drunken laughter and pleasant conversation.

“To Axca’s dick of a teacher!” Zethrid toasted with a hamburger. Everyone else raised the remains of their food with a fake toast. 

Overall.. The night was pretty fun.

The best part though, lance had to say, was the text from keith afterwards.

 

**Keefer ❤️**

So I’ll come get you at ten? I have a special place to ride to.


	14. A heart so full

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! So Keith and Lance are dating now and they really can't get enough of each other. Lance hopes that it lasts forever.  
> Let's see what happens next, hmm?

When Lance had gotten that text he’d assumed, like any normal human being, that Keith meant 10 am. Especially since he only saw the text minutes before leaving the barbeque.

What he didn’t expect was to run into keith at his door at 10 pm, no longer tipsy but very surprised.

“Keith?”

Keith’s dark head of hair whipped to the side in the same evident shock.

“Lance? Did you just get back?”

“Yeah.” he sighed, getting his keys out. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were coming now”

Keith tilted his head sheepishly “it’s prettier at night.”

That caught lance’s attention. He jerked back to stare at keith with wide, expectant eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re taking me somewhere romantic and cute?” he squealed. Keith looked embarrassed, but his embarrassed face often just looked pissed.Lance thought it was endearing.

“Where? Where?” Lance demanded after not getting an answer “and at night, no less.”

Together they entered the apartment but neither of them made a move to settle in.

“It’s a secret” Keith smirked.

“What inspired this?” Lance said coyly, grabbing his sweater and a pad of paper. He figured he should write a note to Hunk so he doesn’t think he ran off to some bar again. Hunk was still at the barbeque, alone with shay. Lance had figured he would leave them to romance it up without him.

“Well, our first date” Keith said the word ‘date’ as if he were speaking of unicorns. He seemed shocked that it was real. “Was pretty uneventful so I’m taking you somewhere.”

“Tell me wheeere” Lance said after he signed the note. Together they locked the dorm up again and walked down the hall. “At least a hint, man.”

Keith huffed in fond exasperation. “It’s just something I found when you were avoiding me.”

Lance looked down at his feet in regret. Keith seemed to pick up on it and hooked his hand in lance’s. It made his heart nearly palpitate out of his chest.

Why was affection so staggeringly different when you’re dating the person?

“I get why you did it.” Keith finally said. Lance whipped his head up to look at him.

“It was unfair to you, kissing you and ...”

Keith didn’t need to finish his thought.

Lance nodded “But to be fair, I asked for it. And we’re dating now right? So that’s all ok!”

Now it was keith’s turn to look conflicted.

But the moment passed without response and soon they made their way to the side parking lot, where keith’s motorcycle was already parked.

“You went out and got it?” Lance asked curiously.

Keith nodded with a tiny grin as he unbuckled a helmet from the rear and threw it at lance. Lance scrambled to grasp it.

“Oooh, so we’re going for safety today.” Lance smirked as he buckled on his helmet “I like it.”

Keith just huffed “Helmets are so restricting, you can barely feel the wind”

“Yet you brought them anyways.” Lance cooed “what a champ.”

“Yeah yeah, get on the bike.” Keith said, his tone was slightly grumpy but it was easy to detect the hint of glee in it. Lance was equally giddy as he climbed onto the bike. It felt so exciting and wild to be riding off in the middle of the night with keith. Even if he’d left a note and was wearing a helmet. It was still pretty exhilarating.

His point was proven as they shot out of the shoddy parking spot and skidded onto the main road, Lance’s heart beating in tandem to the clicks of gravel beneath wheels.

They rode without words between them for nearly twenty minutes and lance revelled in the gaiety of the ride. No matter how many times he rode on that bike he’d always be surprised by how amazing it felt to be flying across the rode- right behind keith.

When they left lance didn’t think it could get any darker, but somehow it did, and the night was more pitch dark than ever, the sky being the only source of light. And even though he could tell the moon and stars were particularly bright that night, the buildings and trees covered up most it, leaving the streets to bathe in the stillness of night.

Lance enjoyed it though, because they always rode in the daytime before.

The night was more romantic than ever.

Lance noticed they were riding out more into the country, up hills and under large clumps of tall trees. In fact, the trees just got larger and more abundant, and ever so verdant even in the darkness.

Keith screeched to a stop at the top of some large hill and after he guided lance off he regarded lance seriously.

“Close your eyes”

“Kinky.” Lance bit back without thinking.

Keith groaned as he slapped a hand over his face “oh my god, just close them.”

Lance obliged, letting his eyelids slide shut as keith took his cold hand in his own. How was keith always so warm? He wanted really badly to sidle closely into keiths side and soak up the comfort of his hold. Instead he was lead forward over bumpy terrain. He tripped over weeds and rocks around three times, and each time keith righted him with an almost unheard giggle. Lance scowled.

Then they reached something more than slightly obtrusive. Lance knew because keith made him crouch to get in. Lance just hoped, as he crawled blindly through shrubbery and scratchy branches, that they weren’t trespassing or something.

When his head hit something wooden and hard he yelped and almost opened his eyes.

“Sorry! Keep them shut!” Keith whispered. Lance felt another warm hand rub his forehead comfortingly. It somehow alleviated the pain.

“Ok ok, man, but where are weee?” Lance complained in a low, whiny voice. He could almost feel keith grinning.

“We’re almost there.”

Then keith led him to stand up again, and with a drop they were no longer on solid earth. Lance squeaked again when he realized he was walking on sand.

Where even were they?

Like a newborn doe, his legs wobbly without being able to see the sand before him. Fortunately it wasn’t like he was sinking into it, it was actually rather stable, but the terrain was still hard to navigate. The sand kept rising in a breeze and shuddering around his ankles.

Suddenly they stopped and Lance jolted forward with the sudden halt.

Keith apologized again.

Then two hot hands laid on both of his shoulders and navigated lance onto his knees. Lance choked on the hilarity of the situation.

“Uh, this is kinda-”

“Lance!!!” Keith seemed rather flustered and lance wanted to see his face. “just lay down!”

Lance’s face twisted in confusion. “Lay down?”

Without another word keith shoved him back softly and he was laying on his back on the wispy and sandy ground.

Keith removed his hands and lance felt something warm lay beside him. Keith’s shoulder was pressed against his own, and without thought their hands slipped together.

“Ok. open.”

Lance did.

And when he did his breath was taken away.

They were in some open stadium, the sand spanning out farther than lance could truly detect, and the shrubbery and forest were far beyond the end of the fences.

And right above them hung the night sky, not longer as dark as lance observed before.

And that was because there was absolutely nothing obstructing the view. They were surrounded by a perfect orb of sky, with nothing else for the eyes to pick up on.

And it was so clear. Not a cloud dotted the horizon but the stars freckled the darkness like fish in the sea.

When he turned his head the moon was round and flush directly to the right. It shone right beside the winking stars.

Lance didn’t even know how to react, really. Stargazing? How romantic was that? And Lance hadn’t expected it at all.

In fact he almost forgot keith was beside im altogether. He was enraptured by the view and his breath hadn’t even come back to him yet. If he reached his hand up he thought make he could even touch the moon. He did. The moon remained hovering with untouchable millions of miles between them.

He almost screamed when keith nudged him.

“Is this real?” Lance said, feeling a little stupid.

Keith nudged him again. “You know, I had the same reaction when I first came.”

Sure enough, when lance tilted his head to view the man next to him, keith looked almost as starstruck as him.

His mouth was slightly parted and his eyes were wide, drinking in the night sky and all its glory.

Keith’s lips moved as he began to talk, almost too low for lance to hear.

“I lived in the city.. All of my life.” Keith said.

“What?”

“You wanted to know more about me, right?” Keith said, louder this time. Lance barely nodded, but keith picked up on it. “Well, I lived in the city. And you never see the sky like this there. I once ran away, far, far into the outskirts of San Francisco and…”

Keith paused, like this pained him. Lance squeezed his hand reassuringly.

“No one came for me. But the sky was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.”

“When was that?” Lance whispered.

“I was ten.”

What kind of parents wouldn’t look for their child? Lance curled up more into keith’s side in sympathy. Keith reciprocated the affection easily.

“But.. I went back to the house the next morning. And I never saw that kind of sky again.” Keith murmured “until now.”

They stared up at the sky once more.

“Also.” Keith continued, breaking lance from his gaze. “I remember you, I think.”

“You do?” lance gasped. “Wait it was really you?”

“Yeah.”

Nothing more had to be said. They curled up on each other, relishing each others warmth and support for hours.

_____________

“Wait where did he take you again?” Pidge gasped in disbelief. Lance was nearly beside himself giggling.

“A horse pasture.” Lance said again, full out laughing at this point.

“And he-”

“Yes, ohmygod, he stepped in shit on the way out.” Lance whacked his knee with his fist. “He looked so pissed good lord, but then it was nearing morning-”

“I can’t believe you fell asleep out there.” Hunk supplied.

“Shhhh, Hunk, Anyways it was morning and someone spotted us.” Lance continued, still laughing through each sentence. “And apparently we were on private property so we decided to split out of there real fast. But he-”

Lance interrupted himself with his short little guffaws.

“Well anyways he rode his bike barefoot because he discarded his shoes, because apparently his precious baby, red, cannot be soiled with horse dooky”

Pidge joined in and hunk looked disapproving.

“Isn’t that unsafe?” Hunk asked wearily.

“Dude, the man rides without a helmet most of the time, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t really give a damn.’’ Lance replied. Hunk looked green.

“You rode without a helmet??”

“No!” lance finally stopped giggling “well. Not this time.”

Hunk let out an ever-suffering sigh. “Be careful man.”

“So I take it you enjoyed the date?” Pidge asked mischievously “you two do anything naughty out in the middle of nowhere?”

“Pidge!” Lance shouted “of course not! It’s the second date!”

“Okaaay..”

Hunk shook his head before returning to the stove “ok, you two. I have some pancakes ready.”

“Yum!” Pidge shouted.

Lance, having a sudden epiphany, smirked at Hunk.

“Waaait, Hunk..” Lance started. Hunk looked over at him cautiously “why are we talking about me and not you’re date with Shay?”

Hunk froze. Then turned red.

“Oh my goood” Lance exclaimed “you two are sweethearts now, huh?”

“I-! We-!”

“You two being safe?” Lance pretended to scold. Hunk turned even more red and threw an oven mitt at lance’s face.

“Lance shut up!” Hunk said, covering his warm cheeks.

“You can dish out the safety warning but can’t take it?” Pidge prodded with a wicked chuckle. “Weeeak”

“Don’t you have another date today, Lance?” Hunk suddenly interrupted the two’s laughter with a sour look.

“You can’t shift the attention, man!” Lance whined.

“Just did, now shut up, I feed you.” Hunk said as he put down plates of pancakes.

Pidge rubbed their hands together “can’t argue with that.”

“Well, yeah.” Lance moaned when he took a bite.

They ate together in joyful silence. The kitchen was full of the clanking of silverware and the occasional appreciative groan for the food.

“Where’s he taking you?” Pidge said finally.

“I don’t see why this is so new, for the past half of a month we’ve been going out every day.” Lance said.

“But they’re dates this time.” Pidge argued.

“Well, he’s never had a hamburger so we’re going to a diner.” Lance answered. Hunk’s eyes widened.

“Never?” Hunk’s voice rose “like, never never?”

“That’s what I meant, yeah!” Lance laughed.

Even Pidge looked scandalized.

“This will be a religious experience for him, I guess.” Pidge finally said. Lance nodded.

“I hope so.”

Lance went about his day normally. He attended classes and got very sharp glances from his teachers. Even the students looked at him cautiously, as if asking ‘dude, why the heck are you ruining your chances at graduating by sneaking out of class for a college sweetheart?’

And lance realized he was everything parents warned their children not to be, ditching classes and higher education just to moon over his boyfriend. But Keith made his mind so mushy that all he could think about was the date the night before and the date coming that evening.

So in his opinion, all was well. His attendance was butchered, but at least he turned in work.

He truly hoped it would be enough in the long run.

He couldn’t have wished harder for the evening to come.

And after his final class he was full on running to his door, papers askew and books almost toppling out of his grasp. He skidded to a halt at his door and banged his way open, discarding his bag and books right at the front. Hunk was standing in the living room, regarding Lance with wide eyes.

“Uhhh”

“MOVE I GOTTA GET DRESSED” Lance shouted, already pulling his shirt off. Hunk scooted back to the couch as lance ran past him to the hallway.

“In a rush?” Hunk called after him.

“Keith’s coming in fifteen minutes!” Lance wailed from his room “I need to look presentable!!”

Hunk laughed. Lance ignore him in favor of throwing his clothes around.

Not even ten minutes later keith was knocking at the door.

“I’m not readyy!” Lance cried out from his room. With a resigned moan hunk got up and answered it.

“Sorry, he’ll be ready in a minute.” hunk said to keith when he opened it. He then ducked back into the living, Keith trailing behind him. Hunk continued to lances bedroom when Keith stole off from him, waiting on the couch nonchalantly.

Lance was already dressed, and he knew he looked pretty good in his dark blue button up and jeans. For the final touch he smoothed his fluffy hair down a tad and grabbed a bottle. He took the dropped from it and raised to to his lips, where he squeezed it and let the cool liquid curl sweetly on his tongue.

“What's that?” Hunk asked with his head peeking from behind the door. Lance jumped from the shock.

“Jesus, hunk! You're a ninja!” Lance gasped. He then paused and held the bottle out, giggling coyly.“and this is a breath dropper. Except instead of mint it makes you smell like sugar. So the next time Keith and I mac it out this mouth will taste like caramel and sugar cookies.”

Hunk laughed “ok, Casanova, Keith awaits.”

Lance grinned and set the bottle down, running out to meet is boyfriend.

Boyfriend.

Lance loved that word.

Keith stood when Lance came in, like a nervous prom date. He also looked really nice, even though he was wearing what he almost always wears. A black shirt, rusty red jacket, and ripped black jeans. He looked like a dashing bad boy. And Lance absolutely loved it.

“Ready?” Keith asked when Lance reached him. Lance nodded vigorously in response.

“Ok you two, be safe on the road and wear helmets” hunk scolded at the two lightly.

“Huuuunk.” Lance groaned.

Hunk crossed his arms “I mean it, it's almost dark.”

Keith was chuckling as he drew a subtle arm around lances middle. Lance shivered at the contact.

“We will.”

With that the two left the dorm.

“Where's the diner?” Keith asked when they made their way to the parking lot again. It felt like a dejavu from the night before, and it was the kind of dejavu Lance wanted to feel into eternity. The warmth of knowing you'll spend an entire evening with someone you care about.

Lance prayed he’d feel it again the next night.

“It's right near the uhm.” Lance pondered it for a minute. “The library? Like in the downtown area? I forgot where exactly though.”

Keith nodded.

“Wait where's the helmets?” Lance asked as he jerked his head to the empty bike rack. Keith, already hiking his leg over the side, mounted and grinned sheepishly back at him.

“Forgot?”

Lance just laughed. Keith joined in, and it didn't stop. At some point, as they were leaving the parking lot, they didn't remember what they were laughing at. Lance was laughing because He was enjoying himself and he loved to hear Keith sounding happy as well. Keith was laughing because lances joy was infectious. Either way, They just knew that the energy, The whole night itself, and the shining feeling of youth and joy was something irreplaceable and delicate. They couldn't help but soak in the moment of nothing but love.

And when Keith looked back at Lance and dark eyes hooked on wide blue ones, both knew their hearts couldn't be any more full.


	15. caramel frappuccino

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this one is shorter! it was originally supposed to be a part of the last one, but I split them. Also the last one was longer than my usual. it's leading up to something, but I wonder what..?? hmmmm?   
> also I calculated and with everything I plan in the future this fic is going to be roughly 31 chapters. They'll be coming out every three days or sooner, so stay tuned! I'm hyped. (also lance's fam is definitely going to be involved soon. That parts going to be so fluffy oml)

  
  


Turns out that eating a hamburger  _ was  _ a religious experience for keith. 

And that being said? He demanded they eat hamburgers nearly every other day.

Lance never felt more tired of hamburgers in his life, but honestly if it meant more time with keith, he'd consume about anything. And plus, it always meant they'd take the food and go to some romantic spot to cuddle and eat.

When they'd reached the diner the first time Keith looked so uncomfortable in a restaurant setting that Lance decided to order take out instead. It was the best decision ever.

They'd ride up a hill with the food and snuggle, hands and lips dripping with sauce yet every kiss still tasting sweet as caramel. 

And with each date Lance felt like he  _ knew  _ Keith better than before. He’d learn little things, like that Keith's favorite color was pink until he was teased for it and said he liked red instead (but he still really likes pink), or that his favorite animal was a ferret because they were so long but so cuddly and cute (even if they smelled awful), or about his emo teen phase (Lance tried to tell him it wasn't over) where he’d type angsty poems into the notes on his iPod touch and wear creepy band t-shirts every day.

And Lance opened his heart to Keith as well. He’d told him about his addiction to laser shooting as a kid, about all of his siblings and how precious they were to him, and how he was actually a very short child but his growth spurt in middle school ripped about ten articles of clothing.

However bumpy the start of the relationship was, keith and lance soon melded to each others side’s like two puzzle pieces. Neither knew what puzzle they belonged to exactly, or where they were going with life, but they knew they belonged together. That was enough for them.

At least. It was. 

Because Lance still felt uncomfortable, like something wasn't quite right. Keith was talking about himself, and that was great, but it seemed like he deliberately left out huge chunks of his life and Lance only got the scraps. 

And he'd be so randomly secretive, like how he suddenly went mute when Lance asked why he knew lotor. Or almost  _ anything  _ about his childhood.

Listen, Lance was oblivious beyond reason but he wasn't an  _ idiot.  _ He could tell when someone was holding back on him.

But Lance was also a respectful person, and he let it be.

Soon it was a month and a half of the being together and he let all his bad feelings go because he was just so  _ happy.  _

Keith picked him up every morning and took him to coffee and they'd eat later in the evening together. This was bliss, and Lance never wanted to let go of it.

“Hey hunk, can you hand me that hairbrush?” Lance asked from in front of the mirror as hunk passed by. With a happy sigh, he flattened a cowlick and applied a little chapstick. While the first kiss was charming, he never wanted to kiss with chapped lips again. Hunk picked up the object and handed it over to Lance, turning to lay on his bed with a magazine in hand. Lance hummed back in appreciation.

“You two are doing pretty great, huh?” Hunk asked as he flipped through his food magazine. 

Lance sighed, feeling and probably sounding completely lovestruck. That was enough of an answer for hunk.

“ok, lover boy, that honeymoon phase isn’t ever going to end, is it?” He laughed just as a knock resounded at the door. Lance ignored hunk and squealed in excitement as he rushed to answer it. 

“Querido!” Lance exclaimed as he flung it open. Keith stood there, looking more than slightly flustered. He’d recently learned that lance had a penchant for using nicknames, in  _ spanish  _ no less. It didn’t take long for lance to realize Keith  _ really  _ like the spanish language, especially when it came from lance. 

“Ready?” Keith said gruffly. His ‘I’m embarrassed so I’m gonna act unaffected’ face twisted into place. He just looked like a grumpy child. 

They continued on to the cafe like usual, and sat  down at a cozy table outside. Surprisingly, Lance found out that Keith actually prefered sugary stuff, the ‘knock you out and make you hallucinate’ level of sugary drinks. And lance thought  _ he  _ was a sugar junky. When lance asked why he’d ordered a black coffee the first time keith looked bashful.

“It was my first time at a cafe.” 

How is one supposed to even react to that? Lance was more shocked than ever. Apparently the only thing keith knew about cafe’s were that they had coffee and croissants. 

Lance made it his mission to make keith try out everything on the menu.

Frappuccinos, it seems, were an instant favorite.

So that morning they ordered a latte and keith asked for the sugariest, most diabetic-inducing frappuccino on the menu.

“Wow.” Lance gasped after taking a sip of Keith’s drink “that’s insane. How many caramel pumps even  _ is in  _ that thing?” 

“I don’t remember..” Keith tapped his chin “fifteen?”

“Jesus. They’re gonna kill you.” Lance choked and sipped his own sugary drink. It tasted bland in comparison.

“Hah. maybe..”

Lance looked out over the street. The morning was slightly chillier, as fall was slowly but surely creeping up, but a humid haze still hung over the town. Ever tree was slowly losing its verdant green and brown and orange creeped up the spines of trees. It was beautiful.

“Keith? I was curious about something.” Lance finally put in. Keith looked up from his drink curiously.

“Yeah?” Keith asked. He sounded nervous.

“I know you don’t like comparing dates but.. Why? I mean, I understand, I don’t like it either but I let mine show.” Lance leaned back in his chair as he swigged the remains of his latte. Keith looked uncomfortable.

Lance wondered if maybe he shouldn’t have asked. But before he could take it back keith spoke up.

“My family are Tessa supporters.” 

_ Ah.  _ Suddenly it made so much more sense to Lance. 

He didn’t see the regret pooling in Keith’s lowered eyes.

“Then, could I see?” Lance piped in without thinking.

Keith’s eyes shot up in apparent terror.

“Oh, yeah, shit! Sorry, that’s the wrong thing to ask a Tessa supporter. Gosh, ignore me.” Lance chuckled “do you know your date though?” 

Keith shook his head slowly. “I imagine it’s average.” He said lowly.

“Yeah…” Lance looked out a the street, understanding “These tattoos are weird, sorry for bringing them up.” 

“It’s ok.”

And it was, for lance. Sure, he was pretty curious about keith’s date, but it wasn’t something to worry about. And he was beyond giddy to finally learn something about keith’s childhood. A Tessa supporter? That was pretty rare. Maybe keith was rich.

Keith finished his drink soon after.

“Want to take a joyride again?” Keith’s smile came back easily “we could go farther this time.”

Lance grinned. “Attendance, who’s she?” he joked.

Keith looked amused before it finally clicked “wait. Oh no. your education- I’m sorry, I’m ruining your future.”

Lance’s eyes widened at the sudden outburst “oh no! Don’t worry! I’m still doing the work!”

The other man gave lance a skeptical glare “but your attend-”

“Shhh shh sh!” Lance waved his hands around “I’m good! Now let’s go.”

They took a long trek to the bike, hands intertwined and only idle chatter filling the time. Lance sighed at the peacefulness of the evening. 

“What’s wrong?” Keith frowned at him.

“It’s nothing it’s just-” Lance tapped his chin with a free hand. “Somehow, when everything’s perfect it feels like something’s gonna go wrong in some way.”

Keith’s eyes widened “but-”

“No no! Don’t get me wrong! I love this! Sorry, I’m jinxing us.” Lance laughed “But sometimes when I’m too content with life, I feel suspicious.”

Keith nodded, looking calmer “I feel that a lot, too.”

“It’s almost two months since we met.” Lance hummed “you’re really great at first impressions, you know that?”

Keith winced “sorry.”

“Nah, it’s good. You’re bad boy mode is pretty hot.” Lance teased, poking a finger into keith’s ribs and earning an indignant yelp. “Who knew you were actually a pansy?” 

“I’m not a pansy!” Keith countered, loudly. Some people on the street turned to look at them.

“We should do something tomorrow.”

Keith looked back at lance, a little embarrassed “what?”

“We should do something fancy, for a date.” 

Keith, suddenly looking very enthused, nodded eagerly. “I’ll take you somewhere.”

“Really??”

“Really.”

And they shared another kiss, sweeter than all the frills of a caramel frappuccino. 


	16. The night out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well. I mean it was bound to happen,,,, keith's never been that great at hiding things ammiright
> 
> Sorry this took so long! I went on a vacation I forgot about and then this chapter took awhile XD Enjoy! <3  
> And I'm sorry 'bout this, the next chapter should be /fun/ ;0000 (not really) also thankyou all sssoooo much for your comments they make me write more and they make me so happy <3 <3

“All I ever see of you anymore is getting ready for dates, gushing about your dates, or stuffing food in your mouth” hunk laughed humorfully “I’m glad your love life is blooming though,man. And here I am, giving you the usual pep talk”

“Holy _crow_ is it blooming, Hunk! We’ve been just perfect.” Lance sighed, twirling in front of the mirror in his fancy black and blue slacks. Keith told him to dress well, after all.

“But are you ok?” Pidge put in, hanging half of the bed, legs dangling over hunks lap. Lance turned to them.

“What?”

“Well. you have about four nervous habits that I’ve observed over time,” Pidge states matter of factly, their nose scrunched up in concern “like shaking, you shiver when you’re really nervous man it’s funny, you pick your cuticles, and you bite your lip, and not to mention that awful foot tapping.”

Lance stilled his foot. “Uhhhh, what of it?”

“You’re doing all four, which isn’t normal. You must be nervous as hell.” Pidge flipped upright. “What’s got you jittery?”

“Wow, pidge you’re observant, for a computer nerd I really didn’t expect that.” Lance hummed, trying his best to stop is ticks now that he noticed them.

“Man, we’ve all noticed, you’re not subtle.” Hunk said.

Lance thought about it. What he usually didn’t pay much attention to how he was feeling, mostly because he was usually feeling _so much_ every day. But digging deeper, he could think of a whole plethora of emotions to address. It overwhelmed him a little, actually.

“I guess..” Lance sat down next to his friends. “I’ve never done this before? Is it supposed to click this fast? How do I already feel like I could marry him?”

He looked over to him, both listening intently with patient eyes.

“I’m scared because he’s so nice to me after being so mean at first and it feels like…” His voice was quivering “it feels like I’m burning through it. I’m enjoying this too much and it’ll be over soon, and like some addictive drug the crash will be worse than the high. I don’t know, I just have such a bad _feeling. Especially_ about tonight. Because In romance novels, it’s all so quick and they’re together. But is life really like this? How do I feel like I know him so well?”

Finished with his rant, he rested his warm cheeks in his hands “and am I just worrying too much?”

The other two shared quick looks before they clambered over to lance, hugging him.

“Hey man, it’s ok.” Hunk soothed “relationships are all different. They all have different beginning and endings, and right now this is your story to write. With me and Shay? It’s clicked just the same.”

Pidge nodded into lances shoulder “but.. If you have a bad feeling about tonight, maybe you shouldn’t go?”

Lance gasped “why not?”

“Intuition is a real thing, Lance.” Hunk pointed out “I don’t necessarily think you’re predicting some horrible thing happening on your date, but maybe something in you doesn’t want to go.”

“Ma- maybe..” Lance faltered “but nothing will stop me tonight. I really want to be with him.”

“Ok, man.”

“Thanks for processing this with me” lance laughed, squeezing his two friends before they separated

The others smiled at him warmly, pidge quickly grabbing their computer to look at something and hunk draping himself back over lances pillow.

Knocks came from the door not seconds after.

“Coming dearest!!” Lance screeched, making both of his friends cover their ears.

A muffled grunt of protest was heard faintly behind the door as lance sprinted across the dorm, his sock padded feet making him almost slip in his eagerness. All his previous uneasiness had nearly completely gave way to nothing but excitement.

Well,

Nearly.

When the door was flung open, lance sucked in an appreciative breath. Keith was dressed more nicely than he’d ever seen, with a black suit and red tie. Where were they going that required him to look so _professional?_ The red, usually a color that lance avoided in his own wardrobe, made an unusual flush keith’s cheeks pop and the black accentuated the defined features in his face. Looking into keith’s eyes, lance realized he looked just as stunned as he.

Lance dove in for a kiss, right before keith could spout whatever his open mouth was forming.

Keith reciprocated.

“Ewww guys at least shut the door first.” Pidge whined from behind them.

Keith jerked back from lance, his eyes wide and startled.

“Pidge!!!” Lance squaked “let me kiss my boyfriend!”

Hunk lumbered from behind pidge, a deceptively hard look on his face again.

“No. not this again. Hunk it’s _every night.”_ Lance whined. Keith wrapped an arm around his waist, a much appreciated gesture that had lance shivering.

“Yet he _forgets_ a helmet every night.” Hunk chided with a wagging finger held out. “keith , _be careful_ with our child.”

Lance groaned and keith gulped.

“Uhhhh”

“You forgot the damn helmet again didn’t you.” Lance gasped.

Keith, squinting his eyes comically and face flushing even more, turned to lance “No. nope, I didn’t forget.”

“He forgot.” Pidge supplied helpfully. Hunk gave an ever-suffering sigh.

“Well-”

“See you guys later!!” Lance yelled, pulling keith from the dorm.

The walked together silently, lance woven to keiths side and keith staring at his profile with something soft, appreciative, with a hint of something lance couldn’t define shining in his dark eyes.

“Sorry.” Lance finally sighed out.

Keith nudged him. “About what?”

“How picking me up is always like your facing my parents or something. How awkward is _that?_ Maybe we should be meeting in the parking lot.”

Keith shook his head “I like it.”

“Wha- _how?”_

 _“_ It feels like family.” Keith said, his tone mirthful. Lance grinned at him, and the two continued outside.

Keith turned away and lance studied him. At some point Lance had realized after all their time together that keith wasn’t too expressive of a person. When he opened up he was sweet and snarky, and when he was mad he relieved some unbridled fury in him.

But usually he was somewhat reserved. He held his thoughts, memories, and emotions close to him.

And this made keith all the more exciting to  lance. Especially since when he stared into his eyes, he could see everything in them. Bright, like the flame of unsaid words, of unaddressed emotions, and everything raw that was just _keith._ He’d never thought the term “eyes are windows to the soul” applied to anyone as perfectly as it did keith. Keith didn’t speak much to lance about what he felt or.. Anything important.. But lance could see in his eyes what he felt. Lance just wished he could understand what was in them better. Because lance kept picking up regret, worry, sadness, and sorrow.

Those aren’t exactly emotions one would want directed at them during a romantic date.

Maybe lance was just reading him wrong.

“We’re here, space cadet.” keith snorted “you done staring into my eyes?”

Lance’s cheeks dusted with pink. “Was _not.”_

Keith only smirked and climbed on the bike, motioning for lance to do the same.

“You really did forget the helmets” Lance laughed, swinging his leg over the side. Keith caught his leg and adjusted it with a warm squeeze.

“Don’t tell hunk.”

“I hate to break your bubble.. But I think he already knows.” Lance whispered lowly, poking the nape of keith’s neck from behind. He was wearing his mullet in a ponytail and _goddamn_ it was hot.

“Well damn.” Keith replied mockingly as he started the bike.

Adjusting himself, lance clung more tightly to keith’s back and he took it as consent to go. The bike sped from the spot, giving lance his usual whiplash. But he didn’t mind. He clung to keith’s frame and let out an excited holler. Although lance couldn’t see his face, he knew keith was grinning.

“So!” Lance shouted when they slowed down “I know this question is probably redundant, but where are we going?”

“You’re right. That is redundant.” Keith replied.

“Keeeith!!” Lance whined, hitting his head between the boys shoulder blades.

“Ouch! You’re head is heavy!” Keith quipped instantly “anyhow, it’s in town.”

“Nice, my hands won’t freeze this time.” The wind often made lance’s hands beyond cold.

Keith laughed into the night air. “If you’re lucky.”

The two rode deeper into town, and on the ride lances hands _did_ eventually freeze. And that’s because they weren’t actually _just_ in town. Keith kept going and going until he was nearing more of the city area. Lance gasped.

“What the-” Lance started

“You’ll see.”

“We’re _not_ in town, keith!” Lance finished.

“I know.”

“Keith-!!!”

“You’ll see, ok?” Keith interrupted again, turning to lance with a smile. That sure shut lance up.

“You better not be spending a ton of money on me!”

Keith didn’t answer.

When they stopped, lance’s breath stopped in his throat.

“Holy-”

“You mentioned this place.. A few weeks ago.” Keith said sheepishly, getting of the bike.

“I-I did but..”

They were in front of one of the most high class restaurants in the city. It has a glass dome as a ceiling and high, arching windows in the front. Ritzy looking people in sweeping cocktail dresses and tailored evening suits were prancing their way inside, chins held high. The door men were outside, heads bowed as they let the guests inside, someone briefly stopping them to check a list, lance knew was a reserved guest list.

This place was expensive as hell. And barely anyone could even reserve a seat there. One appetizer could cost a man near a hundred and fifty dollars.

Not only was it _pricy_ (what an understatement), but keith didn’t eat at restaurants.

They made him uncomfortable for reasons lance still couldn’t identify.

So why were they parked in front of one of the busiest, most expensive, and most well known restaurants in the whole city?

“Why?” Lance choked out “and um, I can’t afford this.”

“Because you’ll like it here.” Keith smiled, still looking shy. “And I’m paying don’t worry.”

“Will you be ok in there, though?” Lance’s voice wavered with worry. Keith gazed at him silently for a moment before shaking his head.

“I’ll be fine.”

They walked up to the front entrance after parking the bike, hands clasped tightly together.

A subtle shift of uncomfortableness passed over keith’s feature and lance wanted to march him right back to his bike, but keith tugged him forward with his jaw clenched.

“This is for me, too.” Keith said softly, almost inaudibly. Lance thought he’d heard it wrong for a moment before looking into keith’s eyes. He looked determined.

This was an odd battle that lance was witnessing, but he didn’t question it. They walked to the doorman quickly.

The man lifted his head questioningly as they passed through, his eyes roaming them toe to top. Lance felt underdressed suddenly.

The ‘list checker’ did the same, but his left eyebrow was quirked up.

“Names..?” He asked. Keith cleared his throat.

“Keith Kogane and Lance McClain.” Keith spoke up, his voice hoarse.

The man checked over his list with bored eyes, as if expecting to not find the names and have to kick them out. But then when it apparently landed on them, his eyes widened and suddenly… everything about him changed. His posture was straightened, his right arm stuck stiff to his chest, and his expression became awed and serious.

“M-Mr-”

“Kogane.” Keith interrupted. Lance glanced at him, but the boy waved away his curiosity with his free hand.

“Mr. Kogane. Your table is back here.” The man gestured to the back “we can have a waiter escort you-”

“I can get there alone.” Keith said a little coldly. Lance realized the man was completely ignoring his presence. In fact when their eyes _did_ meet, the ‘list checker’ stared coldly (was that a _glare??_ ) at lance. Keith seemed to have picked up on it too.

This was another mysterious, odd, and unexplainable encounter lance got to experience beside Keith Kogane.

Lance didn’t realize Keith had started walking until he was being dragged away, too, his feet stumbling as Keith accidentally tugged him too hard.

“sorry. “ he murmured. Lance shook his head.

They walked to the designated table, and keith sighed when they sat down. They were at the window seat, the wide and long glass panels, shining without a fleck of dust to marr the view, revealed a beautiful sight of a sprawling city. They weren’t even at a far height, but the building surrounding the restaurant parted right were the windows were to reveal the rest of the night-lit city, crawling slowly down the slope of buildings.

“Wow.” Lance grinned at the window “what a set-up.”

Keith nodded back.

The waiter came around, just as awed and nervous as the door-man. Lance was starting to get suspicious. Was he sitting with some kind of celebrity or something?

“What do you like?” Keith asked lance as he flipped through the menu.

“I uh. I don’t know what any of this is. but...uhhhhh..” Lance muttered.

Look, usually he was great in social situations. He loved to talk and get to know people. But the waiter and everyone around him in this restaurant were just so _so_ different than the type of people he was used to. He was used to girls like Axca, banging her drunken head on a picnic table. He was _not_ used to prim and proper stuff-abouts who munched on their food as delicately as little mice.

Needless to say, lance was just as uncomfortable as keith. And that wasn’t good, lance was keith’s stability in social environments. With Keith’s odd inner battle with restaurants, he’d need lance’s help.

Lance took a deep breath, scanning the menu for the cheapest thing. That was hard.

The breadsticks were...cheaper though?

God was he only going to order appetizers? How embarrassing.

“Lance, don’t hold back.” Keith placed a hand on his. “I’m just blowing some of my dad’s money, it’s not a big deal.”

Lance nodded.

“I’d like this pasta then, please.” He pointed at the least expensive pasta dish. It was still seventy dollars. And a child’s portion.

“And I’ll have this.” Keith pointed at a steak.

Wow. steak sounded amazing. His stomach growled.

“coming  right away, sir.” The waiter took the menus before placing a wine one down. “And beverages?”

Keith motioned for a very _very expensive_ white wine, and the waiter nodded again, rather eagerly, before taking all the menus and darting off.

Keith smiled over at lance and lance took his hand across the table.

Although he knew he wouldn’t be getting full from the meal that night, lance was eternally grateful just to be there. It was beautiful, the stars shove above tall buildings all around them, and keith was as handsome as ever.

“You’re nervous, huh?” Keith asked suddenly. Lance sputtered awkwardly in reply.

Keith only laughed. Wait. was that a _dimple?_ On only one side? Lance wondered why he’d never noticed it before, but it was rather faint. It just added another thing to adore about keith.

“Only a little.” Lance replied. The waiter then showed up again. Tray rolling right up to the table. On it there was a wine chilling in a tub of ice, and two expensive looking wine glasses.

The man poured the tiniest bit into keith’s drink and held it to him, eyes expectant.

Keith's face looked something along the lines of  ‘what the fuck’.

Lance nearly died of laughter internally when keith took the glass, holding it awkwardly and staring back at the waiter.

“Uhhh, He needs some too.” Keith said gruffly. Lance was starting to chuckle.

“Sir?”

“Some wine?”

The waiter looked beyond baffled, still holding the wine and glanced at lance. He looked even more puzzled when he saw how gleeful lance looked about the situation.

“Keith you’re supposed to try it and then hand it back.” Lance guffawed, finally letting himself break the moment.

Keith’s eyes widened, he still looked confused but then he took a sip of the offered wine and handed the glass back.

The waiter lifted the bottle in question. Keith nodded and the waiter poured two high glasses before retreating with the cart.

“What the hell kind of ritual was that?” Keith grunted as lance finally broke into fits of laughter. Keith couldn’t help but let himself smile a little too, even though he was embarrassed.

“He wanted you to try it, it’s a fancy restaurant thing.” Lance clarified, wiping a tear from his eye. “Wow that was priceless.”

Keith quieted down, turning his head to look out the window.

“Hey… keith.” Lance clenched keith’s hand, making keith swivel to look at him. They spent a moment, eyes locked.

“Thank you for taking me here.” Lance said, a grateful and warm grin growing on his face. “But why’d you take me to a restaurant, when you obviously don’t like them?”

Keith seemed to think about the question, humming in thought. “Well..”

Lance nodded, encouraging him to go on.

“I always felt so anxious.” Keith continued, voice lowered. _OH lord, this was it, Keith was_ _sharing_. “Like, in public in general? I don’t like restaurants. But here, it feels like just me and you.”

Lance was rejoicing inside, and his face lit up. “Yeah.”

Then the food came. The waiter came with another tray, revealing two beautiful plates of extravagant and really expensive dishes. They smelled amazing.

Except that the pasta, although set up nice and pretty on the plate, was a measly and small thing, barely a cup sized portion. Lance would probably need a big mac or something after. The stake though, damn that two hundred dollar masterpiece looked like a delicacy.

“Oh, the steak’s his.” Keith spoke up, pointing to Lance. The waiter, confused and baffled, placed the steak in front of an equally shocked Lance.

“What-”

“I’ve always liked pasta.” Keith said as the waiter walked away. That was true, Keith was a glutton for any kind of pasta or hamburgers. But then why did he order steak?

“Thanks.” Lance laughed “wow, I really didn’t expect that. But um. That’s not fair. Let’s share the steak.”

Keith beamed at him from across the table.

That night they drank too much wine, and it definitely wasn’t legal, but the bottle barely had an inch left by the end of the meal.  And to the horror of the prim guests they shared their dishes and would occasionally fling a forkful at each other. They knocked each others feet under the table, and eventually lances chair gravitated to keith’s side, where they shared the rich food off of one plate.

And even though they acted uncivilized for such a high class restaurant, and everyone's eyes were on them, they felt none of it.

Instead they focused on the joy that fizzed between them, and got full and happy.

The waiters were all too pleased to escort them out after Keith paid.

“I’m too drunk to drive.” Keith chuckled, feeling buzzed. Lance nodded into his shoulder.

“What about a caaaab!” Lance said, his voice high and giggly. “No wait! I’ll call an uber.”

They waited for the uber in the front of the restaurant, laughing into each others shirts for no reason and lance reaching over to ruffle keith’s hair incessantly. Keith didn’t seem to mind.

The uber was no more pleased than the waiters in the restaurant had been. When he’d asked for a destination it took a full five minutes to even draw an answer from a very buzzed keith and lance, who’d interrupt the man to squeal and tickle each other.

After the man reminded lance that he was paying for the driver’s time, they finally told him the address of the dorm.

They fell asleep in the back together, because surprisingly the small portion of pasta had been rich and the steak was more than filling. They were almost too contented in the back of the uber to leave when they pulled up to the dorm.

But everything that was left of sober lance pulled the two out of the uber and apologized to the man, who drove away irritatedly. Lance knew his rating would go down.

Stumbling a little bit and arms circling around each others shoulders, keith gripping lances waist, they made it up to the dorm room.

“Want to go into mine?” Keith whispered in the dark, silent hallway. Lance gave him an unseen smile and nodded vigorously.

Unceremoniously, they bursted into keith’s room, keith’s mouth crashing into lance’s not even an inch past the door. They laughed into each others lips as they fell down together, smack in the middle of the living room, but they couldn’t tell where they were exactly. All they knew was that they were pressed against each other, lips moving in an unheard rhythm and hands roaming over shoulder blades and the frizzed tips of hair.

They broke apart when they rolled over keith’s bag, and it tipped over, contents going everywhere.

“Is that the notebook I gave you?” Lance whispered to keith when he spotted the now worn looking notebook. In the dim lighting of the dark dorm, keith blushed from above lance and lowered to kiss him again.

“You saw nothing.” he said humorously as he parted to lay little pecks over lance’s cheeks. Lance laughed.

They fell asleep like that on the floor, legs intertwined and lips inches apart. Both too content to even go to the couch.

 

Hours later, Lance woke up.

It was morning, and the weak pallor of sun was streaming its wandering fingers through half closed blinds. It laid beautifully over a sleeping keith and lance admired him, sitting up to take in his boyfriend.

Keith’s eyelashes were even longer with his eyes closed, and a faint blush was still prominent of his cheeks. He was murmuring in his sleep, his lips moving very quietly, and every so often his lips would curve upwards. Wow. Lance was  _so_ smitten. 

Overcome with the swell of affection in his chest, Lance leaned and kissed him lightly. Keith didn’t wake up.

Lance laid back down softly and was almost falling back asleep himself when his eyes caught something.

Keith’s hand was right next to lances chest, the hand with his span written on it, most likely left there after hugging lance in his sleep…

And..

The glove was curling up.

Lance admitted to himself.. He was curious. He truly wanted to know. It would at least satiate a bit of curiosity to just peek, right?

It was already showing a little. And Keith probably had an average span, considering his parents sent him to college.

So with a hesitant pinkie he pushed the unclasped glove back a tad more.

The ink was just as clear as the tattoo on his wrist but it was hard to read, especially in the pale light of early morning.

He caught the month.

December.

He looked at the space next to it. So he’d die on december twenty-eighth. So soon after christmas.

He faintly recalled that it was his aunts birthday. He was supposed to drive back to the coast to celebrate that and christmas in a couple months.

Then he glanced at the line below.

Was that.. Was that this year?

Before he could process that, keith’s eyes shot open.

 


	17. Some shock and revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o o f  
> poor bois get into their first fight.

Once upon a  time, on the corner of a san francisco culdesac, lance had quite memorable neighbors. They never drove cars, instead riding bikes and walking  _ everywhere,  _ and that alone could have alienated them from the rest of the neighborhood. It didn’t though, because they lived in a city, and even if people owned cars it was a rare day that a sanfran dweller would hop in their own. That’s what taxis, buses, and conveniently placed shops around the next block was for.

No, they were alienated because  _ everything  _ about them was weird.

They recycled and had a compost bin next to their front door, they left shoes out on their porch (how many times do you have to have your sneakers stolen before you get the memo?), they never talked to anyone in the neighborhood, and most of all, they were avid Tessa supporters.

The children all wore tan and tight looking tessa’s around their wrists, thick with the mistreatment of years gone by. You could always tell when someone was a Tessa from birth. The wear on the bracelet had it fraying a little, and the abuse of a lifetime of treatment made the elastic and plastic puff a bit. That was before the material was improved in the brand.

Lance didn’t know how important the matter of Tessa bracelets were to people, and that was his mistake at a tender age of five. 

He’d approached one the the silent children, and being the natural charismatic person he was, beamed at her and tugged at her bracelet. 

It came off.

That experience was something a little traumatizing for lance, because when he looked at her wrist, remembering it even years later, he saw the date was not even four days from then.

And he figured it out fast. Tessa bracelets never just  _ came off.  _ It had never truly been clasped. She knew. And that eight year old girl gave him one of the saddest smiles he could ever imagine.

The mother saw lance, bracelet in hand, the girl staring at him sadly, and had screeched. She pulled the bracelet from the small boy, making him fall backwards, and hurriedly slapped it on the girls wrist. 

That woman was hysterical, gone mad in every way. And lance realized then too, that the woman knew her daughters date. Did the whole family know? 

They rushed back to their building and lance never saw them again. Four days later the shoes on their stoop was gone. The compost lay rotting in  silent solemnity.

Lance tried not to think  about it. 

What was it to be a Tessa supporter anyways?

Most Tessa supporters, at least the parents, know their dates and their childs dates.

So was it denial?

Well whatever it was, That feeling? When he’d tugged that petite and sorrow-filled child’s bracelet, all those years ago?

Came rushing back full force. And that memory. Like a bulldozer, thundered into his mind in a cacophony of shock and pain. Her brown eyes, brimming with words unformed, and small lips, bitten down with the effort of silence, flashed across his eyes.

But Keith didn’t look sorrowful.

He looked pissed.

“What are you  _ doing?”  _ Keith hissed, whipping his hand to his chest as if lance had burned it. Lance couldn’t breath.

“I-”

“Damn it damn it.” Keith quickly clasped the glove again and stood up, lightening on his feet.

“Keith you’re- you knew your date?” Lance tried to catch his breath again. Every part on him was shaking, including his arms which he held close to himself.

Keith looked like a deer caught in headlights.

“Wait keith- you  _ knew?” _

“What the fuck does it matter to you?” Keith seethed as he swiveled to grasp the strap of his bag on the floor. It was hard to believe  only half an hour before it had been tossed to the side because they were too busy making out. Now the only make out Lance wanted to do was make it out of the room.

“You said that..” Lance’s voice wavered sadly 

“Who fucking cares, Lance! I can’t believe you looked!” Keith shouted, still facing away from him.

“I CARE.” 

Keith still completely and lance’s shaking stopped. The grief and the shock had worn off, now Lance was just.. Just angry. 

“You.. you  _ lied _ .” Lance said, testing the word out on his tongue. 

“So what..” 

“So  _ what? So what, keith?” _ Lance felt all his emotions burst out of every word “so what is that I care about you! Shouldn’t I have known?”

Keith finally turned to face lance, his face twisting with something like regret.

Remembering all the little lies, all the little things he’d missed over  _ a whole month and a half  _ of dating.. It only made lance want to cry.

“You lied about the Tessa thing?? That your parents support Tessa?” Lance asked, his voice building in volume with every word.

“No! Technically they  _ do,  _ I mean they created Tessa.” 

“Now you’re trying to tell me your family  _ created  _ Tessa.” Lance scoffed “bull. shit.”

“They did! They don’t  _ use  _ the bracelets or believe in them, they like to flaunt spans, but they make them.” Keith sneered “But why should that matter.”

Lance threw his arms up. He was angry, so angry, but he was also desperate and so so so sad. He felt like his heart had been ripped out.

“Because you LIED, Keith! You lied to me!”

“I  _ knew  _ you cared about dates, you said you didnt.” Keith glared at Lance with such fury that Lance almost felt the heat. 

“You’re dying in two months, Keith!” Lance screamed. 

Keith didn’t respond, they both just stood staring at each other, huffing and both so close to tears.

“And god do I know it.” Keith seethed quietly.

And then he stomped out, leaving the door to slam  behind him. 

Lance never felt so alone.

How Lance missed all those red flags leading into their relationship? It baffled even himself. In short spanner bars? There was Keith. Tense in any conversation about short spanners or spans at all? That was Keith. Talking to Lance as if he were in another world than Keith, untouchable and so far away? That was Keith.

And all those gazes, as if Keith was savoring him and holding him in the present, afraid of passing time…

It was too obvious.

Lance realized if he was really looking for it, he would’ve noticed.

And that girl...What was that girls name again… susie? Sarah? Did he even spare her a thought the sunday after when he didn’t hear the trembles of footsteps across pavement of the family going to church? Or every day after when he never saw a single one of them again?

Lance curled into a ball of regret and sadness.

Would it be the same with Keith?

That was enough to get him crying again.

 

It took lance a few hours and some muffled shouting outside the door for him to realize that literally no one knew where he was.

And even then it took tremendous effort to get up and open the door. 

As soon as he did, the blinding light of the hallway engulfed him, along with the panicked arms of hunk and pidge clambering and surrounding him.

At least he assumed that’s who it was, because at that point he was gone. He lay limp, senseless in hunk and pidge’s arms, too tired to truly respond to the rush of their words.

He let them tug him to the room across the hall, feet stumbling yet supported by them both.

And then, as they laid him down on the sofa, hunk sitting at the end and pidge rushing off to get something in a blur of motion and noise, Lance drifted to sleep again.

________________________________________________

 

“Lance!”

When lance woke again, it was to the worried and warm tone of Hunk, who was patting him roughly on the head. 

“Oh, thank god.” Hunk moaned “You didn’t look like you were breathing right. I heard shock can put you in a coma.”

“Wait is that true..?” Pidge asked from somewhere out of Lance’s line of sight. They sounded more like they were asking the question to themself. Lance groaned as he sat up, scrutinizing the room around him with bleary eyes. It was nighttime. Which was odd. He never remembered it being day.

“I don’t remember, I think so.” Hunk huffed “Lance got me real stressed out either way.”

“Wait, if I remember correctly” Pidge came around the sofa and in front of Lance. Both Hunk and Pidge looked tired and worn down. Despite just hearing that his boyfriend was dying in two months, Lance had the urge to comfort them. “That sort of shock is more related to the sort when it causes significant oxygen imbalance, often damaging internal organs, which is very rare. Coma’s are usually associated with head trauma or alcohol overdose.”

“Wait. shock? Do you two-” Lance coughed on his words. His throat was hoarse and his tongue felt gummy to the roof of his mouth.

“Wait- I’ll get water!” Hunk stood up and rushed away to the kitchen with purpose. Pidge took his spot and rubbed lance’s back soothingly. It was an unfamiliar gesture coming from Pidge, but one more than appreciated. 

“We know. Shiro’s here too.” Pidge told him. As soon as they said it, shiro stepped from the kitchen as if on cue. Lance was beyond confused.

“What does  _ Shiro  _ have to do with this? I think we’re talking about separate things.” Lance said. 

Pidge looked over their shoulder in puzzlement at the older man.

“He didn’t tell you about Shiro?” Pidge finally replied, voice almost a whisper.

“I’ll talk to him, Pidge.” Shiro finally spoke up, crossing over and putting a hand on Pidge’s shoulder. With that, Pidge nodded and stood up, leaving the room. 

Hunk returned, brought the water, and left in the same direction without a whisper.

Lance was peaking into a whole new level of confusion.

“Uhhhh.. What are we talking about? No offense,  but if this isn’t real important, I’m really emotional and kinda need a break from,, interaction.” Lance sighed out as he took a sip of water. 

Shiro shook his head “it is. This is about keith.”

Lance choked.

“We figured you figured out the night before, you know, his span. That’s why Keith went off the grid and you’re..” Shiro didn’t need to finish his sentence, Lance understood. 

“So uh.. I don’t get it.” Lance started “all I can tell is that you… know keith in some way and you know about his date or something..? Why didn’t you say you knew keith before?”

Shiro looked away forlornly, and buried his face in his palm, letting the silence drag out as he combed through his long forlock with his fingers. Then he glanced back at keith “ well, we haven’t really talked in five years.”

Silence.

“ _ Five.” _

“Five, yeah.” Shiro admitted quietly “we’re adoptive brothers. I ran into Pidge earlier as they were looking for you and heard you were dating him.”

And the puzzles pieces were snapping together. Everyone knew that Shiro’s parents were the founders of Tessa, it wasn’t mentioned often, and Lance nearly forgot about it, but it only added to Shiro’s everlasting fame and prestige. 

“And I can tell, that you two fought.” Shiro sighed. The last time I talked to keith we fought. And… I thought I should tell you more about him, maybe if only to get you to talk to him again. He.. deserves it.”

Lance stayed still and quiet.

“Ok.” He said finally. Shiro gave a relieved sigh.

And Shiro let the story pour out.

Keith was abandoned as an infant, right at the hospital and was shipped off to an orphanage within a month. After years he was adopted by a wealthy family in San Francisco at the age of five, and… Lance could hardly listen to the rest.

“Is this ok for me to hear?” Lance muttered into his folded arms. Shiro and he had moved to the other end of the couch, sharing a blanket and resting their legs on the edge. Both curled up so close, it almost felt intimate. Like shiro was his brother too. 

“Well.. he had a lot of troubles is all. And you know how some families treat short spanners.” Shiro continued “I think it’s important for you to hear this, and let Keith tell you the rest. He needs someone. I wasn’t there when he needed me. I only saw a troubled teen bar hopping and tried to scold him. It didn’t end well and..”

Lance didn’t know firsthand how short spanners  were treated but.. He’d heard enough, especially from what Shiro had already told him.

Some families smother the children who have close dates. They shower them with affection and love and make sure their short span is a happy one.

And then some neglect those children, figuring that their short life isn’t worth much. Doesn’t deserve much.

Lance’s heart ached when he thought of Keith enduring that. Living in a small room, barren and cold with little to look at. Little to enjoy. 

Keith, alone and secluded and unappreciated, all because his span was short.

Keith, kicked out of the house and shipped to a school in Arizona so that the family wouldn’t get too close to him.

Keith, who’s blood family abandoned him when he was a baby after seeing his span.

“Our parents think it’s something to be so proud of, adopting a child that would die as a teenager. They crow about it everywhere.” Shiro sighed. “They’re rich bureaucrats. They only did it for appearances, as much as I hate to say it. They didn’t even take him out in public, let him into restaurants, or buy him anything he didn’t need. And Keith took it really hard. I did too.”

“Is that why..” Lance murmured.

“yeah. “ Shiro didn’t even need to hear the rest. “He has a hard time accepting affection and presents because he doesn’t understand it, or trust it. And he’s scared people will leave him. He won’t talk to me.”

“Oh. oh no. I hugged him all the time without asking when I first met him.” 

Shiro looked confused “He let you hug him?”

“Wait, he won’t talk to you?”

Shiro sighed. “Yeah. he’s convinced I’m like my parents. But Lance. Please, return to him. I’d like to make it up to him to but as far as I’ve heard from the other two, you’re the most important to him.”

Lance was still upset. Lance was, understandably, still heartbroken and slightly pissed at keith.

But he knew, just as he’d known subconsciously for the past month and a half, Keith needed a companion.

Lance nodded, and stood.

Because he knew what to do.


End file.
